


Princess Charms

by Zehntacles



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/M, Shy, Shyness, teen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:51:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 88,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3235259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zehntacles/pseuds/Zehntacles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <img/>
</p><p>There are things you learn when you travel with someone close to you. Sometimes those things you learn are about the person you're with. Sometimes they're about yourself. Star and Marco share a few moments together that test their definition of their friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This is a non-profit fanfiction created for entertainment purposes only. Star Vs. The Forces of Evil is not owned by myself and I did not profit from this writing. Please support the official release.
> 
> Cover art by the talented [shtbunny](http://shtbunny.deviantart.com/)

For most teenagers coming home from school was all about routine. Get out of class, ride the bus home and do your homework while making time for some TV or video games. However if you were Marco Diaz, after school was about the least routine and predictable time of day you could encounter. Walking out of school for Marco was a chance to wander into an intergalactic dance club or battle with a small mutant chicken and its army of evil monsters. Flying decapitated horse heads, anthropomorphic shapes that played video games and all sorts of magical nonsense. All of which was provided generously by the newest member of his house hold. 

Princess Star Butterfly was the most unpredictable and wild thing Marco had ever come into contact with in his short years on planet Earth. A lot of that had to do with the fact Star wasn't even from Earth. Her parents ruled over some magical kingdom called Mewni that Marco had never seen but was probably something akin to Wacky Land from those old cartoon shows he used to watch if their princess was any indication. She could cast magic with a super powered wand that the previously mentioned army of evil monsters would stop at nothing to possess. So it was that Marco found himself using the martial arts lessons he'd been taking since he was six with the excuse that "some day I'll need them!" Well some day was here and it was exhausting. 

Not that he could complain too much. Star was hyper-active, clumsy and lacked an understanding of basic safety for those around her but... she was just so much fun. Her smile was the kind that just made you feel cheery and she clearly meant well in her attempts to interact with others. Those interactions just usually ended up with things on fire or exploding. Regardless she put a spark in his life that Marco had been missing and even though he didn't say it outright having her around was a blessing. Quite a change of pace for the kid voted "safest in school". Which wasn't even a real category in the year book to begin with, they just made it up to poke fun at him. 

While hopping dimensions and fighting monsters was fun and all, Star and Marco still had some problems. Namely the princess was on Earth in the first place to get her to try and calm down and use her magic more responsibly. Marco was tasked with guiding the girl while she was on her intergalactic training mission and that meant integrating her into normal Earth society. Which meant getting her to get used to school life alongside him. Not an easy task for any new kid, especially one that wasn't used to the planet she was on. Today was an occasion where Marco was in his element and Star had to learn to adjust as they both had homework to do. Star had never had homework before, instead being tutored in all her classes on her own home planet in the castle. So Marco was left with the task of helping her learn how to research Earth style; using the internet. 

At the moment Marco was in the kitchen putting together some of his special nachos for the two to snack on while Star got used to the computer. It had been funny to watch the girl try to adjust to the idea that all of Earth's information was at her finger tips with a simple box and screen. An idea that seemed beyond reason to a princess that had defeated a minotaur the previous day with a herd of laser firing emus. And honestly that wasn't even the weirdest thing they'd done that week. Though he would have wagered today might have been the strangest for Star. He'd left her alone with the computer while getting the snacks together but wasn't too worried about it, he'd put the search engine she was using with an age restriction to keep her from getting into anything that might have been inappropriate. Marco just hoped his computer hadn't been turned into a tap dancing turtle or something equally insane by the time he got back upstairs. 

Marco tasted a chip and noted they were ready for munching. Gathering up the plate the boy walked up the stairs to his room where the blond princess was awaiting his return. His dad was at work and his mother had stepped out for groceries so it would just be the two of them for a while. He thought he heard some noises coming from the room as he approached and wondered if she'd found out how to get onto one of the video sites he'd shown her earlier. Star had been pretty entranced with all the cute kitty videos when he first showed her how to use the computer. Opening the door he expected to find her looking at something similar. "Hey star, how's the research going?"

"Hey Marco! I didn't find a whole lot about manatees or whatever we were supposed to look up but I found some other interesting stuff. Come see!" As he was coming around the corner of his door way to look at the screen Marco's eyes began to get wide as the sounds from the speakers were hitting his ears. She wasn't watching a video about manatees. In fact that wasn't a video about anything animal related at all. Aside from the position the two people on the screen were in. 

"Star, what the heck are you watching!?" Marco practically shouted in shock. 

"Um... Doggy Style Divas 5? That's what it says anyway but I haven't seen a single dog in this and I've been watching it for-" Throwing the plate of Nachos into the air Marco dived for the computer and closed down the browser window that Star had used to find her way to whatever site it was she'd been on. Collapsing to his knees afterwards the boy extended his arm and managed to catch the plate before it crashed onto the floor. Call him the Safe Kid if you want but those skills came in handy. Star didn't seem to think a thing of it and took a chip from the plate. "These are really good." She said with a big smile. 

"Star, I left you up here to look up information on marine life. How did you find your way onto... all of that!?" He couldn't figure out how she did it, the girl hadn't even used a computer before today. Plus he'd put all the blocks on the search engine he could think of to keep something like that from happening.

"Welllll... at first I was looking for the stuff you told me to. But then I remembered you saying that you could look up anything on here if you wanted. So I got really curious and I wanted to see what other earth stuff I could find. Then I remembered you used this button up here called bookmarks." Oh no. Marco began to realize that this was his fault. "So I used that and I found those pictures on the screen that talked about Earth video games and that place with the videos of puppies and kitties and something called 'For Chan'. I dunno, it looked pretty weird. But then I noticed this." Star at that point opened up the web browser again and started to guide Marco down the path to hell. Going through multiple folders in his book marks to get to the sites no one was supposed to find. Maybe it had been a lazy way to hide them but give him a break, his parents hadn't noticed yet so he didn't think Star would. "And that's how I found it." Star was beaming with a smile like an archeologist that had unearthed a hidden artifact. Too bad for Marco it was one that unlocked the secret of his humiliation. 

"Guess that answers that question." Marco said with regret as he watched the princess click through various pages of images of naked women. "Um... Star, maybe we should talk about this." 

"About what?" She asked with genuine confusion. 

"About all of... well this." Marco said motioning to the screen. "About what this is. On Earth we call this porn. Well... pornography. Porn is just the short version of it. It's um... wow, how to explain it?" After a moment Star began laughing and Marco was wide eyed with his own genuine confusion now. 

"C'mon Marco, I know what porn is." 

"You do!?" 

"Well yeah, doesn't everyone?" 

"Well... yeah! But you're a princess." 

"So?" It was like getting slapped in the brain when she asked that and he was shocked for a moment. 

"You're... like, you're royalty. Proper etiquette and dresses and crowns. I didn't think they allowed that kind of stuff." 

"I think you're forgetting these!" Star said joyfully as she pulled out her dimensional scissors, the sparkly object that allowed her to cut holes into different dimensions. "I've been to other worlds, silly. I've seen porn before." While that made a weird kind of sense it was still not completely connecting the dots for Marco. 

"Wait, so you've seen stuff like this before. But when I told you my computer could get online and access information all over the world you acted like that was amazing." 

"It is amazing!" Star shouted in excitement. "It's really really cool and I'm surprised Earthlings don't brag about it more. I mean I've seen video games and television and stuff in other worlds but I've never seen anything like this!" As if to illustrate, Star pulled up the search engine she'd been using when Marco left her and showed him a screen of Nyan Cat flying through space with a happy little song playing in the background. She giggled in amusement at the little cartoon critter.

"That's so 2011." 

"I don't know what that means." She said in blissful ignorance as the poptart cat entertained her. Marco had previously been embarrassed but now he was just confused. How much was Star aware of things that were adult in nature? She said it wasn't that surprising to her but it was hard to judge when the person you were talking to wasn't from your planet. Now his curiosity was getting the better of him. 

"So... you said you'd seen stuff like that before?" 

"Mm-hm." The princess responded cheerfully. "Some people had magazines with pictures like those in them, or they even had screen plays of it." He assumed "screen plays" must have been some other world variation of DVD's with the way she was describing it. "Princess Pony Head and I even sneaked into one of those clubs we were told we weren't allowed to enter once and saw some stuff before they kicked us out." She giggled to herself at that memory, finding amusement in whatever past events those must have been. Marco wasn't too surprised at that story, the first and last time he'd met this Pony Head (the previously mentioned flying decapitated horse head) she'd taken them to a dance club and threatened to impale him on the end of her horn out of fear of him stealing Star away from her. To his relief they'd made amends right before she got sent to Princess Jail, which was another weird thing in of itself. 

"Okay. I guess that means there's nothing you haven't seen before." Marco presumed inter-dimensional porn had to be way weirder than anything Earth had after all.

"I guess so. So where's your pictures?" Star asked suddenly as she navigated away from the poptart cat cartoon and right back into a porn site. It was impressive how quickly she'd learned to use the internet after only a little amount of practice.

"My pictures?" 

"Yeah, the pictures of you? Are they on here too or do I have to type in your name? I should have just typed in your name and naked pictures! How do you spell Diaz again?" Star was ready to go on the search engine but Marco put a stop to that, not really wanting those combination of words in his search history. 

"Wait wait! Do not type that!" Marco shouted and minimized the screen on the computer. "Why would you think I have naked pictures of myself online?" 

"Doesn't everyone on Earth?" Star asked. "I mean there were just so many of them, all of different people. I figured everyone on Earth must put these pictures here. It's pretty bold, I didn't expect this kind of thing at all from your world." Well maybe she didn't have quite the grasp on things he thought she did. 

"No, listen..." Marco sat down on the edge of his bed having already put the Nachos on his night stand not long ago when all of this got out of hand. "This sort of thing isn't common among people." Star looked at him and the screen filled with pictures of different women in various poses of undress with a questioning expression. 

"Are you sure?" She asked with doubt. "There's a lot here." 

"I'm positive. Some people do it, obviously. But not everyone on Earth puts naked pictures of themselves on the internet." Star thought about this for a short while as she tried to make sense of what Marco was telling her and the evidence directly before her. A light bulb seemed to go off in her head. 

"Oh I get it, have you just not wanted to try yet? I'll take the pictures for you if you want." 

"No, that's not it at all..." Marco was trying to explain this to her in a way she could grasp and was finding it more tiring than fighting off monsters to protect the princess.

"We'll need a camera though. Oh, I could make one with my wand! Should I take some pictures too? If it's something all Earthlings do I guess it would be okay even if-" 

"No pictures!" Marco suddenly shouted, putting a block on all of this before Star got out of hand. "Star it's not considered a good thing to have photos like that of yourself out there for everyone to see." Star's smile dropped from her face, seeing that he was serious. Even with this kind of matter Marco found it hard to see the girl upset about anything. It was like watching the sun disappear behind a dark cloud. 

"Oh." She said quietly looking at the computer and then towards Marco again. "So these people are bad? They're doing a bad thing?" 

"Well... they're not doing a good thing exactly." Marco was left wondering how a science report on manatees turn into a debate of the morality of pornography on the internet?

"So it's bad then?" Star suddenly gasped. "Am I bad for looking at it? I don't want to be considered bad while I'm here Marco, I didn't want to get you in trouble!"

"No, Star, we're not going to get in trouble-" She gasped again with another realization.

"This was on your computer-thingy! Marco, are you bad!?" She ran over to the window and looked outside as if she suspected the police to be peering in and spying on her. Closing the blinds she turned with her back to the window. "We can't let anyone find out!" 

"Now that I agree on." Marco said with a little bit of a smile. "Star listen, you're fine. Truth is everyone looks at this stuff." 

"They do?" The girl was more confused than ever and Marco realized this was going to take some explaining. Sitting her back down in the computer chair Marco began to do his best in describing societies' views on pornography and where judgement laid for the people who did it. Funny enough the princess was quiet through all of Marco's clumsy explanation, hanging on his every word to try and unravel this bit of Earth culture that seemed so odd to her. When he was done she was still trying to piece it together. 

"Okay, I think I got it." Star said to him as she voiced her thoughts. "So people who take naked pictures of themselves for the internet aren't always bad people." 

"No, not always." Marco explained. "Sometimes they do it for bad reasons but other times it's because it helps them make money to live or they just enjoy showing it." 

"And people like to look at these pictures." Star asked and Marco nodded. "But no one likes to talk about the fact they look at these pictures." Marco nodded again. "Because it's considered bad to look at these pictures, even though everyone already does it?" Marco nodded a third time. "Earth is weird."

"I'll give you that on this one." Marco agreed with a smile. "I'm surprised you didn't know all this already with what you said before about seeing things like this in other dimensions." Star blushed a little and it made the heart symbols on her cheeks glow a faint red color that was very cute in a way Marco had never seen before.

"Well, people that wear clothes in places like Mewni treat them like they're really important. So it was just surprising that so many people wouldn't wear them and let everyone see. I just figured 'that's Earth' and thought you guys didn't care as much about it." 

"It's complicated." Marco said to try and sum it up, happy they were pushing past this subject. Marco had never really talked about this kind of stuff with anyone before. Let alone a pretty girl like Star who was oddly innocent of the whole thing. Once he was less shocked about having to explain it to her he was starting to wish they could just move on so he'd feel less uncomfortable. 

"They do look pretty." Star said as she pulled up one of the pages of women's pictures and clicked on one of a blonde woman with a generous figure in a sitting position. The princess pretended to pose like the model on screen and Marco had to look away before his thoughts wandered into a territory he was trying really hard to avoid. "Maybe I should get some pictures too, just for Earth so that I could get more popular at school." 

"No!" Marco suddenly said much more commanding than he expected. "No pictures!" 

"Why not, I thought you said even good people can take them?" 

"They can but... but it would be bad if people at school saw pictures like those of you. They'd treat you really badly." Star looked like she was losing her grasp on societal rules about these kinds of things again and Marco felt he needed to reinforce the idea. "When people see pictures like these of you they always assume the worst and will be cruel about it." 

"Oh... so I shouldn't put pictures of myself on the internet?" 

"That's correct, no pictures online." 

"Because people will think bad things of me." Star reaffirmed and Marco nodded in response, glad the idea got across to her.

"That's right." He said confidently.

"So I should only show pictures on the internet of myself to people that won't think bad of me." Now she was getting it. Wait, no she wasn't! 

"No!" 

"No?"

"No! No pictures online of yourself."

"So as long as they're not online I can take pictures?" 

"Yes... I mean no!" 

"Why not? Am I not pretty enough for them?" 

"No."

"No I'm not pretty enough!?" 

"No, you are." 

"You think I am?"

"Yes. I mean... I dunno!" 

"So you don't know if I'm pretty!?" Star's questions were getting Marco flustered as he was trying to respond as quickly as she could ask, their voices raising in volume as they talked.

"I do, I think you're beautiful!"

"Really!?" 

"Yes!" 

"I think you're beautiful too!" 

"What!? Really!?" 

"Yes, I do!" 

"Why are we shouting!?" 

"I don't know!" Star shouted happily and seemed very pleased with the outcome of their yelling match. Marco was thanking every force in the universe his parents weren't home right now. Both of them were breathing hard from yelling and Marco was having trouble trying not to find his best friend's smile to be more attractive than usual. The way she was looking at him didn't help quell those feelings. Saying she thought he was beautiful left him both confused and further distressed. "Hey Marco?" 

"Yeah Star?" He asked and swallowed a lump in his throat. 

"What if we didn't use a camera at all and I just... showed you?"

"'Showed me'?" Even though he asked a second time Marco knew very well exactly what she meant. 

"Showed each other? Is that okay if no pictures are on the internet at all?" This was the moment, he thought. A deciding moment that would make changes going forward in their lives together. This beautiful girl that he'd previously only thought of as one of the best friends he'd ever made was now offering to bear all to him. She was asking for permission and he had the power to put a stop to it or let it happen. What to decide?

He knew the safe answer. The "Safe Kid" answer. Put a stop to it, let her know that boys and girls weren't supposed to share things like this. Even if they did have feelings for each other, he should teach her that she should keep herself restrained. For her own good. That was the right thing to do.

"I guess... one time won't hurt. If it's just us." 

He didn't want to be the "Safe Kid" in the first place. Don't judge.

Star had made him turn around on the bed before she agreed to go through with this idea. Flipping himself to face the wall Marco could over hear her slipping her dress off and placing it over the computer chair she'd been sitting in moments before. Out of the corner of his eye the nachos he'd made for them were sitting mostly untouched on the night stand and he started to wonder if this was a good idea. Just a little while ago he was going to study with his friend and now she was getting ready to pose naked in front of him. Was this going to mess things up? He didn't want to lose his "bestie". She meant a lot to him. Maybe he should call it off now while he could. 

"Okay, you can turn around now." 

His doubts faded. Don't judge, not everyone got to see a beautiful princess in the nude.

Turning around on the bed Marco looked up to see only a half nude Star, though that was enough to make his cheeks red. Star's cheeks too as the little hearts on her face seemed to deepen in color. Her arms were crossed over her chest to hide her small breasts and she was still wearing her stripped leggings that she usually had under her dresses. Keeping her arms up Star walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. 

"Okay so, big reveal! I hope you think it's okay." She sounded nervous but excited, something Marco wasn't used to hearing from her but didn't make her exposed skin any less appealing. When her hands dropped from her chest to reveal what was underneath Marco could only say one thing.

"Hearts..." Star giggled in an almost devilish manner at the word. 

"Aww, you think I'm that pretty you're saying your feelings out loud!" Kind of, but that wasn't what he was referring to. "Your turn! Lemme see." Marco silently complied to Star's wishes as he was still transfixed on her breasts. Unzipping his hoodie and removing his t-shirt to reveal himself bare chested in front of Star. She made a small noise of approval and put a hand on his chest. "Well it looks like all that 'Karate' stuff you do really pays off, Wild Man."

"Yeah... Star, they're hearts." 

"Hm?" Star looked up really confused about what he was referring to and Marco raised a hand to point at her breast, tracing his finger over the shape. "Oh those? Yeah, of course they are!" She giggled at his ignorance. "What else would they be?" 

"What else?" Marco had to ask himself. Around Star's nipple instead of the normal circle that her areola would make they were instead in the shape of little hearts. Star rolled her eyes at his fascination with her breast and grabbed him by the wrist, forcing him to press his palm against her skin. "Whoa." 

"They're just boobs, silly. They can't hurt you." Rather small boobs at that but true they were just boobs. Soft, tender, cute boobs that were attached to the very beautiful girl currently sitting on his bed. Marco was glad his shirt was off because his skin was beginning to feel very warm. "And of course they're hearts, just like my heart marks!" She used her other hand to point to her smiling cheeks and the small hearts on them. "Just like yours match the mark on your cheek." She pointed to Marco's circular beauty mark.

"But that's... that's because... well I guess you're right." He said having to admit she'd gotten him on this one. Star giggled to herself and as Marco felt his palm rest against her left breast he could feel her heart underneath. "Oh hey, I can feel your heart beat." 

"Really? I wanna try to." Star exclaimed and placed her hand over Marco's left breast as well. Both were beating quickly at the feeling of contact between them and looking into the blonde princess' eyes didn't make Marco's heart slow in pace at all. She felt very soft under his palm. Very warm. 

"Star... I um..." 

"Hugs!" The girl suddenly shouted and threw herself onto Marco. After the surprise tackle the boy was left underneath the princess as she cuddled him, head pressed against his chest and arms around him. Star made a small squeak of satisfaction and Marco didn't dare move as the pressure of her body against his was doing all sorts of crazy things to him now. He was going to need some time alone later after all of this to try and cool off or she was going to make him explode. "Mmm, you're really comfortable." 

"Y-yeah?" Marco asked nervously, not moving a muscle. 

"I can feel your heart a lot better from here." Usually Star was goofy, energetic and happy. How was it she'd managed to become so cute and alluring in a few short minutes? "Hey Marco? Have you ever had a girlfriend?" 

"Who, me? I... well I uh... no. Never." 

"Have you ever kissed a girl?" Wow she was really hitting him with the questions now that she had him pinned. 

"No..." Marco admitted with a little embarrassment. Normally telling Star this kind of stuff wouldn't bug him. Opening up to her was easy since he was always sure she wouldn't judge him for whatever the truth was. But like this he didn't want to come off as just another nerd to her. "Have you had a boyfriend before?" 

"Yeah." Star answered, though she didn't sound happy about it. Things must not have worked out very well between the two of them and honestly he didn't want to know about any other guys that might have seen her like this. His hands raised up behind her back and slid under her long blonde hair, stroking her skin. She let out happy noises of approval feeling him rub her skin gently under the hair. Marco was glad she enjoyed it but really he was buying time, because he knew the next question he wanted to ask her but was scared to know the answer. 

"Hey um... have you kissed a boy before?" He expected a similar "Yeah" in response but instead was surprised when she pulled herself up over him a little more on the bed so they were face to face. Leaning in Star gave Marco his very first kiss. 

It lingered, probably for less time than what it felt like. Their lips were closed tightly, Star's hair falling around him like a golden curtain and he could feel her heart beat against his own chest now. As funny as it would sound with her being a princess from another world that could cast spells, this kiss was the most magical thing she'd ever done to him. After a few moments it broke and Star sat up on the bed, the hearts on her cheeks a cute red from her blushing. 

"I have now." She smiled brightly and Marco couldn't help but smile in return. She was too beautiful to bear.

The teenagers sat in the room for a few minutes looking at one another, trying to decide what to do next. What step do they take? Should he ask her to reveal more of herself? Would she want that or was it going too fast? Should he kiss her again? He wanted to, it was like a fire burning inside himself that needed more from her to keep aflame. But... "I guess we should get dressed before my mom gets home." 

"Yeah, you're probably right. I should actually look up what a manatee is too." They smiled at each other and hugged again tightly before getting dressed.

It might not have been the sexual encounter Marco's body was currently craving, but it was special. Special in a way he couldn't really define as he didn't have a point of reference but it made him feel really good. He had his bestie still and things were somehow not weird between them afterwards. She'd gotten his first kiss and he'd gotten hers. They could have that together and still go on adventures as friends like nothing had changed.

The two decided to enjoy some more funny videos and eat up their nachos before the snack food got cold. There was still plenty of time for school work after they had a little fun. While they were watching Star took Marco's hand in hers and laughed just as innocently as she had in the past. If he were to sum up his feelings that night with one word it had to be "Hearts".


	2. Moons

Let's imagine you had the ability to go anywhere you wanted in the blink of an eye. If you so desired you could spend your afternoon at the arcade, an amusement park, a famous zoo or even at the peak of an impossible to climb mountain. Not only could you travel to these places with the greatest of ease but you could return just as easily in time for dinner without anyone being the wiser or inconvenienced by your trip. Sound too good to be true? For most people it would be, but not for a magical princess.

Princess Star Butterfly had introduced a great number of interesting things into Marco Diaz's life, but none of which were as uniqe or as handy as the dimensional scissors. Scissors that literally cut through the fabric of reality and deposited you to where ever it was you wanted to be. A little snip and off you went to your destination. Truthfully Marco didn't know how Star was able to control the scissors the way she did. She never said any words or did anything different to the scissors before pulling them out, just a cut and a jump and they were off. Though that wasn't too odd to him as the magic wand she wielded also created impossible things out of thin air. Sometimes she cast a spell to use her powers, sometimes she didn't. It was almost as if the wand reacted to her feelings more than her commands. Which was possibly the reason why she was with Marco in the first place.

Star wasn't actually from Earth like the rest of us. Instead she was the princess of a kingdom called Mewni and had been sent to Earth to learn how to control her new powers with her magic wand. Marco wasn't sure how staying at his place and going to school with him helped her with this but her parents seemed convinced. It might have had something to do with the amount of property damage Star was capable of with just the wave of a hand, but Marco wanted to believe there was actually a purpose to Star staying on his world instead of her own. Besides preventing the girl from burning down her kingdom by accident.

It wasn't just Earth that Star was practicing her magic on. Ever since she received those scissors from a friend of hers Star had been taking trips every now and then to other worlds and bringing Marco along for the ride. Marco had to admit it was pretty exciting and honestly if she hadn't wanted to bring him on her adventures the boy would have insisted on going along with her. Star had a habit of running into trouble on a regular basis and even if she wasn't the kind to panic in the face of danger she might not always handle it the best way. So her "bestie", Marco "The Safe Kid" Diaz played side kick to keep the girl from landing in trouble with the authorities. Plus it was insane amounts of fun to spend time with her.

Today was one of those days that Star had suggested they go explore some place after getting out of school. "Some place" being somewhere off Earth this time around instead of say the local skate park or fast food joint. As much fun as Star had seeing all Earth could offer she was still hungry to see more that the universe had in store. When the energetic, blond princess had asked Marco for a suggestion he'd offhandedly remarked that it might be fun to hit the beach. He'd just been pulling ideas out of the air to try an answer as fast as possible but funny enough Star thought it was a great idea and lead him by the hand through the rip in space and time. Their arrival however had been a bit rougher than usual and Marco didn't feel shy in expressing it.

"You know Star, when you had suggested we go out and try something different today, this wasn't what I had in mind." Marco currently had his back against a large boulder and was sitting on the dirt behind it. "Y'know, funny enough this isn't even that different from what we normally do." Star was sitting behind the same boulder next to Marco, peering around the edge of the rock while he talked.

"Well I didn't know what was going on here before we arrived." Star said in a slightly hushed tone. "If I'd known I would have just picked a different spot. And I'd leave now but... well..." Star motioned to some odd looking lizard like people. At this point you'd probably think that the two teenagers were behind the rock because of them, but that's the funny thing about alternate worlds. They mess with your expectations a little. In actuality the lizard folk were also in hiding and in plain sight of Star and Marco, trying not to be seen by what they were really running from. "I can't just leave now, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I don't think we should either." Marco admitted with a sigh. "But this isn't the kind of problem I can solve with a flying kick like normal." As the two spoke the ground began to rumble and grew progressively louder. Soon the pace of the vibrations picked up speed and every knew what that meant. "Dive for cover!" Marco and Star leaped away from the rock they'd been hiding behind as it was smashed under what looked like a giant black leather boot. Both teenagers had made it safely away from the destruction and stood up to see the cause of the tremors. Star growled angrily at the stupid monster that was causing them such grief.

"This was supposed to be a fun visit!" The princess shrieked at the boot. Normally a princess shouting something like that would seem like a spoiled brat whining, but really it was more of a threat of the destruction to come. Star's wand was glowing with magic as she was getting ready to unleash a spell until a shadow came over head with the threat of another step. The teenagers dived away again to safety and looked on to see their attacker respond to the princess.

"Ssssorry your highnessss. Did I ruin your vacation?" The boot... or rather the boot-like face spoke to Star. Marco looked the creature in the eye which had a face like a snake but a head shaped like a boot. Tracing the neck up the body Marco could see it arch along and back down into the black boot that had nearly hit them the first time. Like a weird, green, scaly rainbow with two miss matched boots on either side. He was a little relieved that he'd become used to insane sights like this or it might have driven Marco a little crazy just looking at it. "Jussst sssstand sssstill and I'll take care of all your worriessss." Star crossed her arms and just looked annoyed at the monster.

"So you're another one of Ludo's dumb minions, huh? Even talking to you is annoying. Don't you get headaches slamming your head into the ground every where you go? You have to be the stupidest looking monster I've seen yet." Princess Butterfly was getting a little sassier than normal but the snake beast was earning it. It didn't appreciate her commentary however as Marco saw the slits in its reptilian eyes narrow.

"Bold wordssss little princesssss. Here, I'll give you a closssser look at me." Marco heard the rocks rumble as the monster began to pick up its tail end that had crushed into the boulder from earlier. He was going to get ready to grab Star and make another run for it until some other local lizard-men creatures near by began to pelt the back of the snake monster's head with spears. It hissed in annoyance feeling the pricks of sharp stone against its back and pulled its tail over its head to try and crush the local attackers. Thankfully for them it missed but it didn't give up as it began to pursue them back towards their village of straw huts. Star was quickly on the run after the beast and Marco was close behind.

"Star, isn't there a spell you can use to stop that thing?" Marco asked between breaths as they ran after it. He didn't know what the limits of Star's magic were but he'd never seen her show any issues with casting spells in the past.

"Yeah, I should. I just have to think of the right one." That might not have been a bad idea to think it through first, when she used magic without consideration it usually didn't result in positive things. Well sometimes, but rarely for anyone else but herself. Still they needed something to be done and fast.

"If only we could shrink it or make it less dangerous." Marco said as they struggled to keep up with the monster trying to kill the local lizardman population. "That thing's so weird, it moves like an evil, giant slinky."

"That's it!" Star cried out happily as she held her wand up with a magical glow. "Terrifying Tyrant Toyification Transformation!" With her words shouted the princess aimed her wand at the snake beast and shot a blast of light its direction. Marco didn't know what was going to happen but the look of terror on the monster's face was satisfying as it realized there wasn't any escape from her attack. When the blast connected with the beast there was a colorful explosion and Marco had to shield his eyes. When he dropped his arms again he was certainly surprised by the spells effects.

"Not... exactly what I'd had in mind." The monster had been changed but it wasn't quite like what Marco had asked for. Instead of a giant monster snake that had a boot like head and an actual boot on its tail it was now a gigantic slinky with large snake eyes on one end and a boot on the other. While this was pretty amusing it didn't really solve anything as the monster was exactly as tall as it had previously been. "Star, why would you say 'Terrifying' or 'Tyrant' in a spell where you're trying to make it harmless!?"

"It just kind of happened!" Star said in protest, looking just as lost as Marco. Sadly this was a common occurrence too and Marco didn't really know if it was the wand or Star's hyperactive behavior that was to blame. The monster was currently even more baffled then either of the two teenagers as it tested its body to see if it could still move. Once it established it could still lift either end of itself the Slinky Beast began to pound away at the ground, crushing a nearby village hut and laughing evilly from... well where its mouth used to be.

"This is fantastic! I can move even faster than before! Mwah ha ha ha ha!" Well at the very least she'd gotten rid of its weird lisp. Once the giant monster had its fun in figuring out how to move it noticed Star and made its way her direction.

"Star, its coming right for us!" Marco shouted and Star was looking at her wand in desperation.

"Okay okay okay! I'll hit it with something else. Something like uh... I dunno... a rainbow beam of-"

"Star, look out!" Marco shouted and leaped on top of the princess, covering her with his body as the monster bore down on them. It was a mostly useless action as his small form was unlikely to keep them both from getting crushed but he couldn't help himself from trying something to save her. A shadow came down over top of them and Marco clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impending pressure. Though it never came. In fact a second later the shadow was gone and the monster had passed right over them. Marco looked up in confusion and got off of Star, glancing around to see the circular imprint around them. Apparently turning the monster into a giant slinky meant it still was just as hollow on each end as that kind of toy normally would be. "Wow, that was lucky." He was a bit in shock from their near death experience but Star was on top of things as she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled Marco with her to hide behind some near by palm trees in hopes the creature hadn't realized it had missed them.

Marco sat on the ground as Star kept a look out again, the boy breathing heavily and trying to relax. Star began taking in the surroundings of the whole island which if not for the terrifying slinky monster would have been quite beautiful. The shore line was visible from where they were and you could see the blue ocean that was much like Earth's, complete with sandy beaches. Other than the trees that were very much like palm trees there was also a volcano in the center of the island that wasn't very far away. "So, any ideas?" He asked from his sitting position.

"I think I got one." Star responded confidently. "But I'm going to need your help."

"Alright, I got this." Marco said gathering himself together and standing up bravely. "What are we going to do? Pilot a giant robot? Turn me into a super monster to battle him one on one? Maybe give me the ability of flight and laser beam eyes?"

"Nope. I want you to scream and shout until he chases you!" Star exclaimed excitedly. Sadly Marco couldn't share in the enthusiasm.

"I kind of liked my ideas better." He admitted. "Besides he's way too fast now, I'll never be able to out run him."

"Not on your feet. Buuuuuut..." Star waved her wand and pointed it at the ground, making what could only be described as rocket roller blades and a matching helmet and knee pads. "This should make you super-duper quick!" Marco looked the magical items over with apprehension. Sighing he put the helmet on his head.

"You're sure you know what you're doing?" He asked strapping the knee pads on next.

"Leave it to me! I wouldn't let anything happen to my 'bestie'!" Star said with a confident thumbs up. Funny enough that did reassure Marco some. Despite her hyperactive behavior the princess was honest and caring. She really wouldn't let anything happen to a loved one if she had the power to stop it. With that wand in hand she had nearly all the power anyone could ask for. It was just her trying to use that power correctly that made Marco worried.

Meanwhile the monster had managed to finally stop itself and rested on the boot end of its body, looking around for another victim to attack. It didn't have to wait long as a voice called out to get the Slinky Beast's attention. "Hey coil brain, you lost?"

"Ah, one of the two brats." The monster's eyes seemed to magically rotate around its cylinder body as it peered down at Marco, who was now decked out in Star's rocket roller blade gear and standing with his arms crossed as he challenged the beast. "Where is the little princess so that I may squash the life out of her?"

"Star got bored and decided to take a break. A lame monster like you wouldn't be fun for a girl, let alone a boy. Guess I'll have to finish you off myself." Marco faked a yawn to drive his point home of just how beneath him all this was, making the monster narrow its snake like eyes his direction.

"Then you'll get the honors of feeling my boot first!" Pushing itself upward the monster's slinky body extended and began to spring in Marco's direction. That was all he needed as he turned himself around on the solid earth and began to roller blade away from the monster. Thankfully the moment he started pushing forward the rockets on the blades took effect and propelled Marco quickly over the island. Even with the extra propulsion he could feel the massive vibrations of the Slinky Beast's boot slamming into the ground and trying to catch up with him.

"I really hope this works." Marco said through gritted teeth as he narrowly dodged trees and rocks, obstacles that were either dodged or crushed by the monster behind him. Pushing his body as far as he could Marco saw his destination in view; the volcano. The only problem was that it was all he saw, Star wasn't anywhere in sight.

"I'm gaining on you, little boy!" The beast bellowed and it wasn't an idle threat, the spring body of the monster was pushing it faster and faster after Marco and he was going to either have to start skating up the sheer rock towards an active volcano or some miracle would need to take place.

"Star whatever you're gonna do, do it now!" Marco shouted as the volcano's solid surface with its harsh incline was approaching faster and faster. There was only a brief second to see it but a glinting white light appeared before Marco as a pair of scissors stuck through thin air and cut downward, making a hole in space and time. It wasn't big enough for a huge beast, but it did allow a boy on rocket roller blades to shoot right through and completely miss an impact with the volcano he'd been fast approaching. After Marco had disappeared, Star's body peeked out half way through the portal and she aimed her wand skyward.

"Super Special Stone Stairway!" The girl cried out as a beam of light shot upward and then downward like a bolt of lightning, turning the side of the volcano into massive stairs leading up to the rim of its summit. With a grin the girl disappeared back into the portal while it shut close behind her.

Back near the beach, Marco was currently face down in a patch of bushes that thankfully were not as sharp as they could have been and hopefully not poisonous. He'd have gotten up but his feet were a little unreliable with the rocket skates firing off at full blast and hovering above him in the air. Once Star had completed her task she appeared again near by through the portal he'd escaped through and used her wand remove her magical accessories from his feet. "Way to go, partner! Check out the result." The princess said happily as Marco was finally able to sit up and look off in the distance.

"What's going on!? I can't stop myself!" The slinky monster shouted out as its momentum carried it up the giant stone stairs that Star had made with her magic. Many of the locals that had been running for their lives now gathered around to watch as the monster shouted in futility and bounced up the stairs towards its doom. Marco was impressed, he never could get one of those toys to do that himself back home. Once it reached the top of the volcano the monster went in boot first and sunk into the lava. The magma splashed outward from the impact, settled down again, and went quiet.

The silence of the monster's passing was broken with a round of cheers from the shore side as the locals began to rejoice. The lizard people were shouting and even dancing in celebration as Star helped Marco out of the bushes and the two began shouting in cheer as well. They'd slain their first giant monster together and it went off without a hitch.

During all of the celebrations one of the locals who was dressed a little more fanciful than the rest approached Star and Marco. If Marco were to guess he figured this individual must have been some kind of leader or elder as he seemed to have a few more years on him than the others. But it was hard to tell, everyone being scaly and all. When he spoke it was with a deep, kind voice that made Marco feel a little more at ease with his reptilian appearance. "Young travelers, we owe you our deepest gratitude. Since the Stepping Snake had appeared on our island we'd been at the monster's mercy. Now we may live in peace once more!" Two of the other locals approached Marco and Star and placed colorful beaded necklaces around them with many different designs and shapes. He felt a little bashful getting all this praise but the princess didn't miss a beat.

"It wasn't even a thing, your scaliness. We're just glad to help and kick some monster boo-tay any day!" Not quite the royal speech you might expect from a princess but it fit with Star's style just fine for Marco. The village leader seemed pleased as well, smiling as joyful as before.

"If you would, the two of you are invited to stay a while at our resort. We can provide you with food and entertainment to your heart's content. With no charge, of course." Wait a minute? Resort? Up until now all the lizard people had looked like some kind of primitive natives from an old adventure movie with their tribal style clothing. Marco couldn't help himself and had to ask.

"Resort? Like a vacation club?" Noting his confusion the village leader was happy to respond.

"Of course! Tourism is our primary trade after all for visitors from all sorts of worlds. We can provide you both with some swim wear at the gift shop and will hold a feast in your honor. Would you grace us with your presence for a while longer?" Star was pretty much bouncing on the air at the idea of having an even more fun afternoon than what she'd originally planned for them. She looked to Marco expectantly and he realized she was asking if he was okay with doing this too.

"Well... I guess we could be a little late for dinner and stay for a while." He was sure his parents would understand. Living with Star had opened their eyes up to quite a few unexpected things and the two coming home without any injuries and a few tourist trinkets would be better than most nights out Marco had with Star. Star shouted a loud "Yay!" as it was settled and the two were lead back towards the lizard people's village.

Marco had to admit these guys knew how to throw a party. Also they were a lot more advanced than he'd given them credit for at first glance. Beyond the straw huts the monster had been stomping on were several buildings with a much more modern design. Once the teenagers had changed into more beach appropriate attire the party began with games, dancing, entertainment and lots of really good food. He was supposed to be keeping track of time but Marco was really having too much fun to be bothered. The daylight hours seemed similar enough to Earth that when the sun started to dip he figured it would be time to head back. At least until they locals had insisted he and Star both take a little while to admire the sunset on the beach and watch the moons rise afterwards. While a sunset was pretty if a little boring, Marco was genuinely curious to see what the two moons would look like in the sky together.

As the island was bathed in a warm, orange glow Marco was sitting on a towel he'd borrowed from the gift shop when he and Star had come down to the beach. He had to admit, the sunset really was prettier on the horizon than he'd expected. Star was on one of the resorts long lounging chairs near by him, sitting as well and looking out over the water. The beach wear they'd been given were both rather simple and he assumed it must have been that way to accommodate visitors from so many different worlds. Marco's was just swim trunks that fit comfortably and were a plain white color with a small palm tree design sewn in. Star's swimsuit had been similar in color with the small palm tree design sewn in around the hip area, though she had on a one piece that fit her form very complimentary. In fact Marco had been doing his very best not to think about just how good she looked in her swimsuit but found his attention drifting more towards her as they sat quietly on the beach together.

"It's pretty, huh?" The princess asked as she looked over the water.

"Yeah, really pretty." Marco agreed, looking at her and forgetting for a moment they were discussing the scenery.

"Hey Marco, let's go swimming." Star said as she looked over to her "bestie", a bright smile on her face that reminded him he probably shouldn't be staring at his best friend like that.

"Oh. Um... right now? Shouldn't we get ready to head back after the moons rise like they said?"

"We can see it from the water too. Besides when are we going to get another chance to swim in the ocean like this?" Well she had a point, the beaches back on Earth were sometimes too polluted to even swim in.

"Okay then, lets head out there."

"Great!" Star said in excitement and leaped up onto her feet. Though she stopped as if she was remembering something important. "Oh yeah. Let me just put my wand away real quick!" The wand hadn't actually left her hand even after the party started with their gracious hosts. Despite her seemingly irresponsible demeanor Star was dedicated to keeping the wand safe from the hands of anyone who may try to use it for evil purposes. Taking her star shaped purse off her shoulder the princess leaned forward and put her wand and the special dimension hopping scissors inside it to keep them out of sight while they swam. For Marco this was a little distressing as Star had chosen to face away from him when she leaned downward and gave him something of a show in the process. Turning his head away the boy tried looking out over the water and clearing his head of thoughts he really wished would stop pestering him.

It was difficult though. Star was first and foremost his friend and the person he'd unofficially chosen to bodyguard once he'd learned of the dangers she had to face on a regular basis. Not that Star couldn't take care of herself, but from what Marco could see the more support she had the better. But Star was also a girl (a very pretty girl) who had kissed him (his very first kiss) and even though they still kept things the same between them after that his thoughts would turn towards her in a more-than-just-friends kind of way. He pushed that feeling aside as he didn't want to do anything to ruin their friendship, but it would resurface sometimes. He wondered if she ever felt that way too?

"Marco?" He blinked and looked up to see Star staring down at him. "Marco, are you okay? You don't look happy."

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Marco said and put on a smile quickly, rising to his feet. "Was just looking at the water."

"Well let's do more than look. C'mon!" Star said joyfully and lead the way into the ocean. The water was cool but not cold, just right for swimming in after being out in the sun. The duo dived and paddled their way through the waves, letting their bodies be moved with the water and fighting against it at times. As they played they found themselves swimming further and further away from where they started until they both finally noticed that the sun had dipped down past the horizon and was replaced by two glowing lights in the sky. "Wooooow."

"Yeah... you said it." They tread water as they looked into the sky to see two large, white full moons above them. The moons had just past over the horizon into the sky and looked quite large as they were making their way upward. One of the moons seemed larger than the other as Marco was observing them.

"They're called the dueling moons." Star commented to him. "I heard them talking about it before we came to the beach. I guess one eclipses the other as they rise and it looks like they're dueling."

"Wow, that's pretty cool." Marco replied, these worlds that Star took him to were usually very weird in some way or another but it wasn't often he got to admire something about the scenery like this. "I wonder why they said it was dueling specifically? If they're passing by each other wouldn't it just be eclipsing?"

"Or dancing." Star added and suddenly yawned loudly as she floated in the water. Marco smirked at her.

"Tired?" Star let out a little annoyed groan, not wanting to admit to something like that. She was usually the one exploding with energy and her winding down first was somehow unacceptable to her. "It has been a pretty crazy day."

"Yeah, I guess so." Star agreed and the waves felt like they were moving with a little more force than before. Moving closer to her, Marco put an arm around the princess and she hooked her own around his shoulder to help them stay afloat together. Even though it was to make her more comfortable there was a small part of Marco that felt a little guilty at getting Star in this position next to him. He wasn't going to deny to himself that having her close by always made him feel better. Looking up at the sky again he could faintly see the moons begin to arc in their path towards one another.

"I like dancing better too." Marco finally said, breaking the silence they had shared since coming close together. "I think it's better to think of them as friends instead of enemies."

"Yeah, I think it's nicer too. Good friends." Star agreed looking into the sky.

"Best friends." Marco said with a smile as his gaze fell now to the princess. Star stopped to look at him as well and it was one of those moments that caught his breath for a second. She had really pretty eyes, even more so now in the bright moonlight.

"More than friends?" The tone of her voice was hard to figure. Questioning but hopeful. Almost like someone offering a gift to you and waiting to see if you'll accept it. Yet there was a deeper emotional energy in those words that tugged at his heart hard. Her other arm came around to drape across his other shoulder and the two were looking face to face now. Her eyes closed and she leaned forward towards him. Closing his own eyes Marco leaned forward as well and pursed his lips to meet her with a kiss in the water.

His lips made impact with something, but it wasn't what he'd expected. Feeling something was wrong right away as his arms were no longer around Star, Marco opened his eyes to find himself looking at a creature that was considerably less than human. "Arrrk!" It said and followed the noise with a high pitched whistling sound.

"What the what!?" Marco asked frantically and backed away, seeing Star straddling the creature's back and looking just as confused as him. She was riding what was as far as Marco could tell some king of purple, dolphin like creature with two dorsal fins that Star was gripping onto like handles. Marco didn't even have a chance to ask another question as a second purple dolphin thing slid up underneath him as well with an invitation to ride it. They were confused but excited and things made a little more sense when they heard applause and saw four or so lizard people on the beach cheering them on. It must have been their pets or something like that for people to ride at the resort.

"Look at these cute little guys! Awww, they're so adorable!" Star leaned forward to rub one under its chin and the creature whistled happily in response. "Marco, want to go for a ride!?" Marco was a little annoyed at the fact he'd been denied his second-ever kiss by some sea mammals breaking the mood, but it was hard to stay upset when they seemed so eager to please. Besides Star was really focused on having some fun now.

"It would be rude to refuse, right?" That was all she needed to hear as the princess shouted joyfully into the air and they were off for what had to be the wildest combination of jet skiing and horse back riding all rolled into one.

Marco didn't know how long their ride had been but it was a wild good time. He and Star were slowly trudging back onto the beach and thanking their hosts as the lizard men took the animals back to where ever they'd come from near the resort. Once the locals had accepted their thanks and left them to their own devices again the duo trudged through the sand back to their spot on the beach for their clothing and belongings. Thankfully it was pretty easy to see still with the twin moons and the lights from the near by resort illuminating everything. Sitting on his towel Marco fell back and let out a sigh. "Today was amazing, even if I was almost squashed to death by a weird monster snake."

"I know, right? This was the best after school trip we've taken yet!" Star said gleefully and reached under the lounging chair for her purse, pulling it out and removing a hair brush from inside. Truth be told Star's hair was some of the most impressive Marco had ever seen, her blond locks flowing down all the way to her knees. Back home on Mewni she probably had servants who attended her in keeping it silky and healthy but since she'd moved to Earth it was all on Star to do it herself now. A daunting looking task as she now sat on the front end of the long lounge chair and attempted to comb through her tangles, wincing with each one she came across.

"Hair trouble?" Marco asked and rolled onto his stomach to watch her work.

"If I don't get them right away they'll get worse. Ow." Star winced. "Ow. Ow. Owww." Marco was wincing now along with her every time she pulled at one.

"Can't you just magic it out?"

"Even I'm not confident enough to use my wand on my own hair." Considering how some of her spells came out she had a point. "But that does give me an idea." Picking up her wand, Star waved it around for a moment and three little bat creatures with huge, single eyes appeared. Each one holding a brush in its claws. Some of you might be wondering why a cute princess from a place as harmless sounding as Mewni would instinctively make something like cyclops bat monsters to comb her hair. Which just meant you didn't know Star well enough. "Okay guys, help me out please?" The little creatures chirped at her and went to work combing at her hair.

"Ow. Ow. Owwww. Owie! Careful please. Ow!" Despite working faster the little monsters didn't seem any more skilled at brushing hair painlessly than she had been. Star's face changing from a confident smile to an expression of pain with each pull of their brushes. Marco decided he should probably do something at this point with all the trouble she was having.

"Mind if I cut in, guys?" Marco asked as he pulled himself off the towel from his comfortable position laying on top of the sand and moved behind Star himself on the lounging chair, the bat creatures fluttering out of his way and poofing magically out of existence. Spreading his legs apart and sliding up close (but making sure not to make contact with her) he picked up Star's brush and began to help her remove the tangles and straighten her hair out. He had to admit it wasn't a very easy task with just how much hair she had but by carefully working through it with his finger and keeping it from pulling at her scalp the process went a lot easier. Star even seemed to be enjoying it now as the let out another yawn. "Feeling better?"

"Mm-hm" She responded sounding calmer than he was used to. "I like getting my hair brushed."

"I bet, with how much you have."

"You're good at this." She said dreamily, making Marco feel a little embarrassed.

"Well I'm just being careful is all." That's all there really was to it. He was being sure to reduce the amount of pulling on her head and it felt worlds better than the constant tugging she was subjected to before.

"Being the 'safe kid' for my benefit?" Star asked teasingly, using Marco's unwanted (and in his opinion, unwarranted) nick name he'd picked up at school. "That's good for me though. You always try to keep me safe."

"I'm just looking out for my friend is all." Marco said as he ran his fingers up into her hair to try and break it up a bit. Star seemed to appreciate the attention and used her hands to slide back up against Marco on the chair, pressing right against his lap in the process. While this was surprising, Marco didn't do very much at all to stop it from happening. If the nearly-missed kiss in the water they'd shared hadn't made his body ready for contact with her then Star pushing herself into his lap while wearing a tight swimsuit sure did the trick. "S-Star?"

"Hm?" She asked and began to lay back against his chest. The pressure forcing Marco against the back rest of the lounge chair as she snuggled into place against him and let out a more dainty, princess-y yawn that Marco couldn't tell if it was real or cleverly staged act of cuteness.

"Are you... um... comfortable?" This was way past their normal comfort zone together but Marco didn't exactly want her to leave. Besides ever since that previous day they'd shared together when they had kissed he'd been feeling a glimmer of hope for something like this to happen again.

"Mm-hm." Star said happily and crossed her arms over her stomach while she rested. "Oh, they're meeting together." She said and motioned upward into the sky. Marco looked up to see the two moons begin to cross paths together with each other, not quite eclipsing but making their way so that it looked like they were touching one another. "I'm glad we stayed long enough to see this."

"Y-yeah... me too." Marco was feeling conflicted about the situation he was in, not to mention very warm underneath the princess. Star was hyper and silly but she wasn't stupid. Laying against a boy like this while wearing something as tight as a swimsuit was hardly appropriate for a young girl and he was positive if any of their parents had been near by they'd have put a stop to it. But right now in a tropical paradise with a beautiful girl he didn't really care what was right or wrong or even what was appropriate or otherwise. He just knew he was really happy having her so close against him. He just wasn't sure what her intentions were right now.

"Y'know Star, what you were saying before, out there in the water. About the moons being friends. Or... or even more than friends. I liked that. I liked that you thought of that right away. I guess the idea of them 'dueling' each other sounds pretty cool, but instead the first thing you thought of was something nice between them. That they could be happy together, even if other people didn't think so." What the hell was he saying? Marco couldn't even tell where he was going with this. Just rambling for the sake of filling in the silence between them. "I guess I'm saying that I'm just... kind of happy right now. That doesn't make any sense, does it? Star?" Marco leaned his head forward to look down at the closed eyes of Princess Butterfly as she laid on her back against his chest. Letting out a sigh Marco leaned back onto the chair again and looked upward. "Asleep. Okay... didn't hear me talking like an idiot. That's good too."

Normally he woldn't care what Star heard him say. It wasn't that her opinion didn't matter, it was just he trusted her so much that he didn't worry about what she'd think of him. Sometimes though he wanted to seem cool or exciting in front of her, but eventually he'd always do something stupid or dorky. Somehow even though he could fist fight monsters and keep up with her on adventures it still didn't make him feel like any less of a nerd. Maybe some things about yourself you can't change no matter how hard you try. Glancing from the water into the sky again Marco could see the moons were nearly eclipsed over one another and decided that they probably should start heading back before his mom worried. He already pushed his luck quite a bit with curfew since Star moved in and he didn't want to get her in trouble because they stayed out too late.

"Star, we should head back." Marco said to the dozing princess but she didn't stir from her spot. "Star, we need to get up." Marco tried to sit up but felt her push him back down, seeing a smile form on her face as she kept his back on top of him. He gave her a little glare. "You're doing this on purpose."

"Uh-uh." She said sleepily and kept him pinned down. "I'm asleeeeep."

"No you're not." Marco corrected her humorlessly.

"Yeeeees I am." She said with a mischievous giggle.

"Then how are you answering me if you're asleep?"

"This is how people from Mewni sleep. It's common knowledge, of course." She might have been from a whole other world but Marco was pretty sure this little fact wasn't accurate. "I guess nothing can be done but lay here until I wake up."

"Okay then, I'll pick you up while you're asleep." Star's smile turned into an exaggerated frown and she shook her head in protest. "Oh yeah? Who's going to stop me?"

"You don't want to get up." Star answered confidently.

"Oh yeah, you're sure about that?"

"Mm-hm. I can tell." Star grinned and Marco's body froze as he felt her rock her hips back and forth in his lap. It was the smallest amount of movement but it brought to attention clear as day the erection he'd had pressed against Star's butt since she'd slid back against him. He swallowed a lump in his throat and relaxed his body against the lounge chair again. The princess had won with tactics far dirtier than Marco ever thought she was possible of committing. Sighing he relented to her wishes.

"Fine, ten more minutes." Star giggled happily at her victory and readjusted in his lap to lay on her side against him now, Marco helping her brush her hair aside so as to not get caught on it. Leaning her head upward she motioned with his finger for him to lean downward to her and when he did she darted upward to put a kiss onto his lips.

"I didn't get to earlier." Star whispered as she leaned against him and rested soundly. Leaving Marco with a body that was both too scared to move for fear of the friction of her body while at the same time wanting nothing more than to do exactly that. They laid on that lounge chair for who knew how long, Marco being without a watch to actually keep track of time. Though once his body was a little more relaxed and less raging with desire the blond princess yawned and rose upward from her resting place. Sitting up on the lounge chair and out of Marco's lap she wiped the sleep out of her eyes and smiled at her friend. "Wow, I really dozed off there."

"You can say that again." Marco said sounding more tired than before, their resting position having started to lure him to sleep as well. Sitting upward Marco pulled himself off the beach chair and helped Star to her feet. She looked upward into the sky at the moons.

"I guess I missed when they were touching together." As far as Marco was concerned the part where they made contact was the most vivid memory in his mind. "It's okay though, I had a pretty nice dream."

"Oh yeah, what about?"

"I can't remember." Star said with a grin. "But I remember it was warm and nice." She stretched herself out to wake up her body a little and Marco decided not to watch so as to avoid any more embarrassing moments of his body reacting to pleasant sights tonight. "Also sorry if I said anything weird. People from Mewni are known to do all sorts of things when they sleep."

"That a fact?"

"As far as anyone needs to know." Star said and gave him a wink that made his heart thump a little in his chest. "Wanna get changed and head home?"

"Yeah, mom's probably wondering where we are."

"Okay, lets head back to the gift shop to change there." Marco agreed and they began to walk back towards the resort a little ways off the beach. Star leaned against him and took his hand in hers as their feet left the sand. "Hey Marco, think they'll let us keep these swimsuits?" Feeling her rest against his body made him tense but his hand responded on it's own and squeezed hers gently in return.

"Yeah, probably if we ask them nicely. Do you like them?" Star nodded and Marco smiled. "I like them too."

"I had a feeling you did." He blushed a little but she didn't tease him any further, the duo letting their hands go after another gentle squeeze once they were in sight of the locals. Above him the moons in the sky had drifted as far apart from each other as when they'd started. Their separation didn't feel melancholy to him though, instead it was kind of hopeful. They'd come together again without fail, two (good, best, more than) friends dancing in the night. Regardless of what people thought of them.


	3. Clovers

Marco Diaz wasn't one to shy away from the extraordinary, in fact he'd grown quite accustomed to it. He could battle horrible monsters, deal with magical transformations and escort hyperactive princesses through danger as the calls to action came. He even had a litter of laser puppies at home. However the ordinary was still a problem for Marco on a regular basis. People thought he was too neat and organized, social situations at school were a chore to navigate and talking to girls was about the most impossible task you could ask of him. Well one girl anyway, the only girl it really mattered to get the conversation right with every time; Jackie Lynn Thompson. 

Jackie was the prettiest girl in the entire school (if you were to ask Marco, anyway). She had short blonde hair with a sea-green streak in it that matched her equally pretty sea green eyes. Usually seen riding around on her skate board in a very complimentary t-shirt and jean shorts. Complete with all the required safety gear and pads a girl could need to ride and keep herself from getting hurt (also important if you were to ask (probably only) Marco)). A girl that perfect you couldn't just approach and say any stupid thing that came to mind. You had to be suave and cool, intelligent but not nerdy. You had to have style. You had to have confidence! You needed a book! 

Well for this one case anyway. Today Marco was in the Echo Creek Academy's high school library looking to get some studying done for an especially annoying history lesson his troll of a teacher (literally, after a magical accident made her into one) assigned the class. He expected he'd be able to pass but his friend, the current Echo Creek Academy exchange student residing at his house was going to have more trouble than most. Being the magical hyperactive princess he usually assisted through dangerous adventures, Star Butterfly was completely alien to Earth history and culture. Which was why the two had decided to stop and read up to provide her with the necessary lessons and him with a refresher. That was until other things had caught their attention. 

Shortly after entering the library they had spotted their respective crushes in the building. Jackie had been checking out some books to read for entertainment and Star's crush Oskar Greason was thumbing through the music CD's the library had to check out. Spotting an opportunity Star had pushed Marco in the direction of Jackie and left to go make a move on her own target. That had been a few minutes ago though, Marco hadn't seen Star since and didn't know how she was doing on her quest. He however had to make a move soon as Jackie was lined up to check her books out and Marco didn't want to go back and report to his friend he'd not even tried. Taking a deep breath Marco reached out and picked up a random book off the shelf that was closest to him. It didn't matter what it was, he just needed and excuse to get in line behind her. Tucking it under his arm Marco approached the line and stood behind her. 

Stepping almost silently Marco kept his breathing under control while he tried to come up with a good opening line. Something that was personal but not too pushy. He tried to get a look at the titles of her books to see if that would help him spark a conversation but she held them against her chest and it made the text impossible to read without being obvious. Marco tried looking for other clues to help him get a few words out but nothing else on her person was coming to mind. The only other thing he was aware of was her skate board and she didn't even have it with her right now. All of his searching lead Marco's eyes to fall on Jackie's behind. Wearing her jean shorts as usual, they were a snug fit and made for a very impressive sight. Though it was like looking into the sun, keep it up for too long and there's bound to be some damage. A lesson imparted on him first hand as her hips turned to bring her backside slightly out of view as Jackie was looking right in his direction. "Marco?" 

"Oh! Uh, hey Jackie." Bad situation. Did she catch him staring at her ass? It wasn't really long enough to be staring but the time frame probably didn't matter to her at this point. Quick, think of something to cover yourself. "I'm sorry, I was just lost in thought." Good, good excuse. Even had the benefit of being half true, he just didn't want to elaborate on what those thoughts were. "Are you getting stuff for that test?" 

"No, just something to read at home." Now that she had them under her arm Marco could see they were a series of mystery novels he'd only ever heard of in passing. That didn't help him too much in terms of conversation. Other than she liked to read in her spare time. "You too?" 

"Oh me? Yeah, I enjoy a good book every now and then. Just kicking back and reading to ease my troubled mind." This was going a lot better than he had expected it to. He even felt like she was engaged in the conversation. Jackie's eyes tilted down to look at the book Marco was holding onto and grinned to herself. 

"That's cool." She said with a smile that made Marco's heart flutter. However before things could get farther Jackie's turn was up next in line and she was checking out her books with the librarian. While she attended to that Marco was working on keeping his breathing under control, focusing on how to keep things going once she was done. Should he check out his book and walk home with her if she asked? Would it be okay if he offered? He'd have to go tell Star first before he took off but maybe this was his only chance. What if she wanted to ride her skateboard though? She loves skateboarding, why the heck didn't he have one of his own? He needed to get a skateboard and then try not to look like a dork while riding one. That could cut into his martial arts training though and he needed that for- "Bye Marco." 

"Bye Jackie!" Marco said as he waved to the girl of his obsession while she made her exit. By the time he realized what had happened she was out the door and the conversation he'd hoped to kindle was already done. "Aaaaaaand I blew it." Marco said with a sigh, looking down at the ground. That was the best result of any attempt he'd ever made in talking to Jackie and it was over in a flash. All he'd really gotten out of that was the fact she liked to read at home. Which he did now too apparently, if he wanted to keep up with the story he'd just told her. 

"Next in line." The librarian called out, directly to Marco as he was the only person left. Walking up to the counter, Marco set the book he'd grabbed randomly on the desk and kept looking at the rather ugly carpet of the library while seeping in his depression. The librarian looked the title over and gave Marco a stare over her glasses. "Really, kid? You didn't seem like the type." Marco snapped back to reality at her comment and finally got a look at the book's title as well; Sunlight: Fading Dusk. It was that vampire romance novel that was really popular a few years back and even got a movie series created after it. He'd watched the first one with Star to satiate her curiosity and she'd been done with the film before it was even over. Marco also came to the realization Jackie had seen him holding that book and that he'd commented on how excited he was to get home and read it tonight. 

"I uh... I'm not the brightest." Marco said, though for completely different reasons than what the librarian was asking him for. 

"Whatever makes you happy, I say. Don't worry none, I loved it when I read it. Way better than those cheesy movies."

"Yeah, thanks. Think I'm just gonna use it to lay my head down and wallow in my shame for a while instead." 

"There's better authors for that, but suit yourself." Marco thanked the librarian and proceeded over to an empty table where he could rest his arms on his latest book checked out and his head over that, groaning to himself. 

"I am such an idiot." Well at least he didn't humiliate himself in front of a crowd. Just the one girl he'd wanted to make a good impression on. Maybe once the week was over she'd just forget they'd even talked and he could try to start brand new. Marco did a pretty good job of fading into the background when he wasn't drawing attention to himself alongside Star. While he contemplated how to make another move towards Jackie, Marco felt small fists beat softly against his back. Lifting his head up Marco looked over his shoulder to see an excited Star Butterfly hitting him lightly to get his attention over and over again with both hands, smiling brightly in excitement. "St-St-St-St-ar-ar-ar-ar?" 

"Marco, it went great!" The blonde princess said in excitement as the spun around and grabbed a chair next to her friend, taking a seat daintily as she landed on the chair. "Okay so I walked right up to him and I was all 'Hey' and then he was all 'Hey' and then I was all 'Hi' and then he actually said 'Hi' too! Can you believe it!?" Marco was about to reply but Star was on a roll. "Then like we went back and forth like that for, I dunno, three minutes or something and then I asked him what music he liked. And he handed me this!" Star shoved a CD case directly into Marco's face without giving him much of a chance to actually recognize what was on the cover. It was gone and back in her hands in seconds with her excitement. "I dunno who Dolt Funk is but I bet it's totally great. Oh Marco it was just perfect!" 

"That's great Star, I'm glad to hear it." Marco smiled happily at her friend, always feeling her joy rubbing off on him when she was overflowing with happiness like that. 

"Okay okay okay... phew, okay. Soooooo how did it go with Jackie?" Marco's smile faded quickly after that question and Star's went along with him. "Not so good?" 

"Well it started off okay I guess, she talked to me." 

"That's an improvement." Star said with hope rising in her voice. 

"I managed to learn she likes mystery novels, so I told her that I like to read at home too."

"Really? Cause now that I think about it, I don't remember ever seeing you just reading for fun." 

"Yeah, I don't really. That was mistake one. Mistake two was when she caught me holding this book I'd grabbed off the shelf randomly to get in line behind her." Marco handed the romance novel to Star and she made a face that was equivalent to someone tasting cheese that had spoiled. "So who knows what she thinks of me because of that." 

"Why would you grab this of all things? We didn't even finish the movie."

"Apparently the book is better, doesn't matter though, wasn't paying attention when I picked it up. So yeah... not the best right now." Marco took the book back, crossed his arms over it and let his head fall hard into the pillow he'd made for himself. Through the muffles of his sleeves he spoke up. "I'm still glad things worked out good for you, though." Star watched her depressed friend curl up inside his own little sphere of sadness and sighed, wanting to help him but not sure how. Picking up her wand Star chewed on the decorative end a little while she pondered, the little gem lighting up in the center of the wand when an idea hit her.

"Say Marco, did you really think things were going to go well with Jackie?" Marco's head turned on his arms in surprise, he'd never heard Star be quite so blunt before. 

"Say what now?" 

"I mean, when you went up to talk with her, what were you thinking about?" 

"What was I thinking about? Um... well lets see, I was trying to think of how to talk to her, what she might like, trying not to say anything wrong, figuring out how to look well... not dorky." Making sure she didn't catch him looking at her butt. Though he wasn't going to say that one out loud. Star nodded as he listed the different things he was concerning himself with, taking note of each one. "Why do you ask?" 

"Because you're always focusing on trying not to do anything wrong. You never think about doing stuff right!" 

"What? That's not true. I focus on the right way to do things all the time. Haven't you seen my arrangement of personal hygiene products?" He always made sure all items that could be needed were assorted and filled to requirement should an emergency arise.

"Yeah and that's a little off-putting and all, but that's not what I mean. When it comes to talking to her you only ever think about avoiding doing stuff wrong. When you do well at other things you're focused on doing it the right way." Marco raised a finger to correct her but stopped short when he realized there might have been a lot of truth to that. Was he actually focusing on all the wrong things when he was only trying to do it the right way? "Or you just act natural like when we hang out. I'm a girl and you don't have any problem talking to me."

"That's different, talking to you is easy. I don't feel like I have to be worried about saying something wrong with you." 

"Oh yeah?" Star asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering what exactly that meant. "How so?" 

"I dunno, I guess I just feel natural around you." 

"Aww." Star's moment of offense quickly spun around into a second of endearment for Marco when he expressed himself that way. "So you just gotta feel natural around Jackie then." Easier said then done as far as Marco was concerned. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face with his hands. Things honestly felt pretty hopeless. Though Star wasn't deterred as she scooted her chair in closer to Marco to talk in a lower tone. "You know what you should do; fantasize your victory." 

"I'm not sure I follow." 

"Just think about the perfect result of how you want things to go and try to make it like that." Star explained with a cheerful grin and Marco thought it over to himself.

"But... what if it starts to not go that way?" 

"Oh it never does." Star answered confidently. "I always picture myself riding side saddle behind Oskar on a robot stallion through a star field while he plays me a song he wrote just for me on that magic button guitar."

"Keytar."

"Yeah, that thing." Star said dreamily as she was lost in thought for a moment. Marco gave her a second to come back to reality while she played out her little music video in her head. "But yeah, just think about things going their best and try to do that! You'll do a lot better I bet." It was a sound argument but Marco wasn't sure it would work for him. Picturing something going that well with no mistakes wasn't really practical in his mind. Certainly not how he had learned the world works from his personal experience. Star had endless optimism but it was harder for him to muster. 

"I get what you're saying but I'm not sure I can do it." 

"Oh come on, you're telling me you never fantasized about what a good date with someone would be like?" Now that... that was a dangerous question. Sure he'd thought of how things could go really well before but none of it was very likely or realistic. "Go ahead and share one with me." Star was pressed against him shoulder to shoulder now waiting for him to tell her something juicy. Caving in Marco decided to give her what she wanted.

"Alright, so I guess... I was thinking it might be cool if maybe... I learned how to skate board too so that I could walk her home, skate her home I guess." Star leaned in closer wanting more but blinked when she realized no more was coming. 

"So just... skate boarding together?"

"Y-yeah... y'know, cause she likes it." 

"Do you like it?" 

"Tried it once when I was little, fell down a lot." Star seemed disappointed with this response, finding it not nearly as juicy and full of victory as she had been hoping to get from him. 

"Do you have any of them where you two are doing things that you like together?" Well yeah there was one... more than one to be honest but one in particular. The one that felt like it had the most chance of actually happening. But that one was a bit personal. 

"I... don't think I should say." 

"Oh come on, if you can't tell it to me then who can you tell it to?" Maybe one of the guys? Though Star had quickly become one of the closest friends Marco ever had in his life. Sharing personal things with her didn't seem odd to him, even if she was a girl. He took a breath before saying this next one. 

"Okay. So sometimes I've thought about... taking Jackie with me to... the Lucky Room." 

"Oooooh, the Lucky Room!" Star said in a hushed whisper once it was finally revealed. After a moment there was a silence between them and she whispered again. "What's the Lucky Room?"

"Seriously?" Of all the things he had to explain. He was sure she might have heard about it by now with how social she was with everyone in school. Though Star did have an innocent quality to her that it made it hard to bring up things that were suggestive in nature. If only people knew just how well informed she was on sexuality. "Okay so... in the back of the library there's a bunch of rooms that we used to use for classes. Four of them, all named after seasons. There's a Winter Room and a Summer Room, each one decorated to represent the season they're named after. Well before the school got an expansion, we used to use the Spring Room for music classes. Because of that the Spring Room is actually sound proof. Now it's been a long time since anyone's used that room for anything other than storage, but rumors are that sometimes people would sneak back there and... well... do stuff." 

"Stuff?" Star asked confused. 

"Y'know, 'stuff'." Marco tried to clarify, it took Star a moment to grasp what "stuff" was but when she got it her eyes widened. 

"Ooooh, 'stuff'."

"Right. So because the room is sound proofed and the walls have decorations of clovers on them for spring, people started calling it the Lucky Room. Cause it's where you go to get lucky." Star nodded her head a bit in realization, never knowing before that such a place existed on school grounds or that students were using it for their own entertainment.

"So you've thought about you and Jackie in..."

"I shouldn't have said anything." Marco grumbled and set his face back down on his folded arms, regretting ever having explained all of this to her. The hell was he thinking revealing something that embarrassing about himself? Star was ever supportive though and put an arm around him. 

"No, it's okay. She's really pretty right? I bet you're not the only one that's thought that before about her." This really wasn't helping him any with her offering the imagery of other guys taking Jackie to the "Lucky Room". Though her trying to be supportive did make him raise his head. 

"So you don't think I'm a weird pervert?" Marco asked, a little scared to hear the answer. After the whole thing with explaining how internet porn worked and then their little brush together at the beach Marco had been concerned that Star might want to keep her distance from him. Somehow though she seemed warmer and closer than ever.

"Marco, I've seen weird perverts before. You're not a weird pervert." Then every so often she dropped a line like that which made Marco wonder just what exactly Star had seen in the past while traveling around with her inter-dimensional friends. "Where could I find this Lucky Room anyway?" The princess had a mischievous grin about her and Marco looked to put the cap on it before she decided to get into trouble.

"You'd have to go past the librarian's desk to get to it. It's the hallway opposite side where the bathrooms are. Nobody's allowed down there though for this exact reason." 

"So your fantasy involves getting her into a room that's impossible to enter?"

"Didn't yours involve flying through space on a rocket unicorn or something equally impossible to that?" Star just giggled to herself as she remembered that little sequence in her head again. "Besides I just said no one's allowed to go in there, I didn't say it was impossible." 

"Oh really?" Star asked, that mischievous grin returning once more. "But a safe kid like you wouldn't possibly break the rules, even for Jackie. Would you?" She was goading him now. Star knew he didn't like the nickname Safe Kid but she wasn't being malicious. Instead trying to get him to rise to action. 

"That a challenge?" Marco asked as he sat up straight, smiling himself now. 

"Maaaaaaaybe. All depends on if you could even get yourself and another person into this room like you wanted. But something like that sounds way too dangerous for-" Star was cut short as Marco arose to his feet and took her by the hand, leading her towards this mysterious room she was so curious about now. Sure she'd teased him into doing something he never would have done on his own, but Marco never really felt bothered when Star pushed him past his boundaries. If anything it felt like he was stronger because of it every time she did. As they proceeded forward Marco felt her hand grip his a little tighter and he returned the squeeze, both forgetting entirely about their homework and even their crushes. Now they were on a little adventure together and that was what really mattered. 

Marco stopped by a bookshelf close by the librarian's desk, a spot where they were out of an easy line of sight but they could keep tabs on things around them. Marco removed two books blindly from the shelf and handed one to Star. "Here, pretend to read for a little bit." Star was confused but did as she was told, looking around to see that no one was be paying attention to them. 

"So is that the hallway there?" Star asked as she motioned directly ahead of them to a hall that lead to four separate rooms, just as he'd described to her. "I don't think anyone's looking, shouldn't we make a break for it?" 

"That's what they want you to do." Marco said confidently. "Just wait, we have to clear phase one in a few minutes." Star didn't really understand but trusted in her friend as they stood in place, pretending to read. In fact Star was getting a little bored and started to actually look through the book that had been pulled out for her. Something about a country called Germany? So many languages and countries on this planet and they were all filled with human Earthlings and no monsters of any kind. Earth really was a complicated place, to the point she didn't know how they kept it all sorted out. After a little bit Marco nudged Star and they watched the janitor pass by and go into the boy's bathroom, closing it off for cleaning. "Phase 1 complete." 

"That's it, just waiting for the janitor to clean the bathroom? Marco we could have gone before he even showed up." Star didn't get what all the fuss was about but Marco just grinned slyly. 

"Hold on, phase two is about to begin." Star watched on as the librarian looked up from her work computer and checked to see if the coast was clear. Not spotting Marco or Star in their hiding place, she pulled out her phone with attached ear buds. Sticking them into her ears she began to watch whatever program she'd been wanting a chance to see, facing towards the front of the library with her back to the two teenagers. "And now we make a move." Putting the book back quietly Marco checked to be sure no other students were watching now and motioned for Star to follow him into the forbidden hallway. In just a few causal steps the duo had cleared the open floor and were out of plain sight, Marco checking the doors until he found the one labeled "Spring Room". A careful twist and pull and the heavy door opened slowly. Marco motioned for Star to sneak in while he followed behind, slipping inside and bracing the door so it closed quietly. They were in.

"So this is it, huh?" Star asked looking around the dark room. There were two fluorescent ceiling lights on in the corner to give the room a small amount of light to see but beyond that it was mostly dark. Scattered about were old desks, stands for music sheets, various knickknacks and a set of small fold out bleachers that went up only a few steps. Most likely used for choir practice for the kids to all stand in line together and sing. Along the top of the walls a banner of green clovers and white flowers lined the room to give it the spring feel. "Not quite as impressive as I imagined." 

"Well it hasn't been used for a long time." Marco said as he walked deeper into the room and Star followed. Sitting on the second step of the bleachers Marco relaxed. "Told you I could get us in though."

"Never doubted you for a minute." Star said with a smile and took a seat next to him, looking around the room. "How are we going to get out without getting caught?" 

"I... uh... I actually hadn't thought of that part." Marco said suddenly realizing the situation he'd trapped them in. "I'll try to figure out something." While Marco was lost in thought Star was looking around the quiet room. She could see how this was a place a couple would want to retreat to. It was cozy and peaceful in a way. The idea someone could walk in and catch you also felt a little exciting. How many couples had the Lucky Room seen in the past? "But now you can take it all in while we figure out how to escape." 

"What do you mean, we're not done yet." Star said with a smile. "This is just the first part of what you were telling me, how do things go after that?" Marco felt his cheeks flush red after Star asked him what he'd pictured he and Jackie would do when they were alone and Marco felt there were some things you don't even tell your best friend. 

"Maybe we should just skip that part?" Marco offered but Star wasn't about to accept that. 

"Skip it? Marco this is the most important part! You get her in this room, all alone, just the two of you. What are you going to do after that?" 

"I... I uh... I dunno. I just sorta figured things would kinda happen on their own." Star rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. "What?" 

"You can't just leave it to chance after doing all that cool spy stuff out there that got us here in the first place. How'd you even know all of that to get us by without being caught?" Marco just shrugged at her question. 

"I just pay attention to things is all." 

"Okay then, lets have you pay attention to me. We'll pretend I'm Jackie and you can try out all the things you wanted to say to her on me." Marco swallowed a lump in his throat, not entirely comfortable with this idea. 

"Star that might not be such a great-"

"I'll even make it easier." Using her magical wand Star tapped the top of her head lightly, a blue streak of color appearing down her very long hair. It wasn't the sea green color that Jackie wore but the effort was a sweet touch. "Okay, let's try this. Ahem. 'Hey Marco, wanna skate board with me sometime?'" Star took on an exaggerated California surfer's accent while she talked to try and copy Jackie's way of speech, though it wasn't going over so well. 

"Okay that last part is pulling me out of the illusion."

"Fine fine, I'll talk normal." Star said with a giggle as she slid closer to Marco on the bleachers. "So Marco, why did you invite me, Jackie Lynn Thompson, into the Lucky Room with you?"

"Jackie says her full name when she asks questions like that?" Marco asked with a smile. 

"Of course I do, it's how I'm sure people know that I'm Jackie Lynn Thompson." Star continued without missing a beat. "So Marco, why did you ask me to come in here with you?" 

"I uh... wanted to spend time with you?" Marco offered in response, feeling a little silly they were playing this out together. 

"Oh yeah, we couldn't have just spent time together out in the library?" Star was smirking with great amusement at getting to play this role, the flirty tone in her voice not helping Marco any in responding intelligently.

"Well I thought that... maybe... Star I feel really silly." 

"Hey, I told you twice now my name is Jackie. Unless you'd rather spend time with your friend Star instead?" That question made Marco feel conflicted inside and he didn't really understand why. It was a sign though that he might as well play along since Star wasn't going to let up on him. 

"Okay then... Jackie. I just really wanted a chance to talk to you. Alone, because I kinda... well if you're not seeing anyone..."

"Marco, you didn't ask me in here just to make a move on me did you?" 

"What? No, I wasn't just trying to do that. I respect you as a person." 

"Oh so you're not interested in me like that? That's too bad, I'm not dating anybody right now either." 

"Wait so you want me to ask you out?" 

"I don't know, do I?" She asked with a smile that made Marco's heart beat a little faster. Marco wiped some sweat off his brow as this conversation was getting difficult to continue.

"Star, I don't-"

"Jackie. I'm Jackie." StarJackie said and made Marco look her direction while she reinforced the act. "This is important Marco, so don't lose focus." He tried to remember that this little game they were playing was to help him get over his anxiety and become more confident overall. "So, you wanted to ask me out?" Marco licked his lips and tried to soldier on.

"Ye-yeah. Yeah, if you uh... if you don't mind. Maybe we could go out. Sometime. Together, you know?" Even while just acting the part he was a nervous mess. Marco cursed his awkwardness in these situations. Why couldn't he have Star's confidence? 

"Hm. I'm not sure." StarJackie said in response, looking away disinterested. "I don't feel like you really want to date me." 

"...huh?" Marco said completely speechless now. He was expecting Star to either drop the act and judge him or just scold him on his poor performance. This was completely unexpected. 

"I mean you could have asked me out there, but you didn't. So why not?" This was going in a much different direction than he anticipated and Marco tried to recover. 

"I just... St- I mean Jackie. I didn't think you'd ask me that." 

"Gotta think on your feet, Marco. I'm wondering if you really like me or if you just think I'm pretty." StarJackie was playing her role almost too well, acting completely aloof and carefree as if she was someone else. It really drove Marco to step up his game. 

"No I do like you, a lot! I mean there's all sorts of things I like about you." 

"Oh yeah?" She said glancing his way again. 

"Yeah like uh... your personality. You're really confident and happy, and you treat everyone you meet like a friend."

"That so?" StarJackie slid a little closer to Marco on the bleachers.

"And you're really athletic and energetic. I mean the things you can do are just inspiring to watch." 

"So you're watching me, Marco?" 

"I... can't really help myself." Marco's words made StarJackie slide closer yet again. 

"So what else?" 

"Also you have really pretty blonde hair." They were side by side now, Star had her hip pressed up against Marco's and he didn't mind the contact at all. In fact it was very welcome. "Sometimes too I just like looking at your eyes. They're a really pretty blue." She was leaning in towards him and Marco was doing the same to meet her. She was so close now. 

"Jackie's eyes are green." Star corrected.

"Oh?" Marco asked, not really caring he'd got the color wrong. It was the eyes in front of him that he was getting lost in now. They leaned in together and closed their eyes, sharing a kiss that either was unexpected or what they'd both wanted all along. He wasn't really sure and it didn't bother him to ignore the questions attached to what they were doing. This kiss felt far too good.

Their lips pressed together for some time, Marco wasn't sure how much had passed but he was enjoying every second of it. When they finally broke apart he looked back into her eyes and could see she wanted the same as him, their mouths leaning forward to meet again. It felt more intense than the time she'd kissed him on the bed or that night on the beach. Something about this felt primal and hungry, at least for himself. As if what had been teased at before was now within his grasp. Marco's lips parted to deepen the kiss and Star replied with the same, their tongue moving out to meet each other. His arm rose up and held Star by her lower back, her hand raising and gripping Marco by the sleeve of his hoodie. He could feel his body heat up under his clothes with her so close to him and he didn't mind in the least. 

Despite of, or due to, their eagerness their kisses were clumsy. Marco had never been this intimate with anyone before and from what Star had told him previously neither had she. Even if each step felt a little awkward and tense he still enjoyed the contact. His arms pulled Star slightly closer to his body and she let out a surprised moan into their kiss that gave him further confidence. Star's arms both rose up around his shoulders and they separated their kiss again, panting hard and staring into the eyes of one another. She really did have the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen. At times it looked like stars were shimmering inside of them. "Marco?" Star asked through warm breaths he could feel on his face. What was she asking? To stop? To keep going? He really couldn't tell, even in the heat of the moment like this he couldn't read girls all that well. So he went with his instincts and put his other arm around her as well to put them in an embrace together. Though it was awkward with their position on the bleachers. 

"Star." If this was supposed to be teaching him how to talk more confidently it wasn't working as he found himself still at a loss for words. Star's face changed a little when he called her by her own name. Instead of using the one they were supposed to be for this little confidence role play they'd started, but he couldn't tell if she was upset or happy from it. 

"But..." Marco leaned in and kissed her again, he didn't want her to correct him. All he could think about right now was the girl directly in front of him. Star gasped a little from the sudden kiss but returned it as eagerly until breaking the contact again. "Wait." Star forced Marco to loosen his grip on her and in a move that left him stunned rearranged herself to sit on his lap so they'd be face to face. Encouraging him to hug her again Marco's arms came up around Star's lower back and she smiled at him from her position. She nodded as if to ask if this was okay and he nodded in return, confident she was perfectly aware he didn't mind with what she was sitting on right now. She'd proven at the beach that if she desired she could get and hold Marco's attention. Now she had it completely.

They kissed again and it felt just as passionate as before if not a little more erotic. Their bodies rocked slowly against each other, as if to test the waters with the friction between them. Marco was sure Star was fully aware of what they were doing and he decided not to question or fight it, just letting her take him on the ride. The kiss was becoming slightly easier as well as the two were learning how to find a rhythm with the other that was pleasant for both sides. As they shared hot breath together Marco decided to take a small risk himself as she had with him, letting one of his hands slide down under her skirt and placing it on her behind. Star's eyes opened with surprise and she broke the kiss with him, looking at him through the dim room with a flirtatious grin. Apparently he'd done well, lucky him. Taking another risk he leaned in slowly, still not sure what she'd allow but confident she'd stop him if it went too far. Breathing out slowly Marco kissed at Star's neck and the girl let out an erotic moan, her fingers gripping hard at the back of his hoodie. "Marco."

"Star... I..." He felt words about to come out of his mouth that he didn't have the power to stop. Dangerous ones that could either ruin or deepen their relationship once they were spoken. Out of fear of going toy far he wanted to silence himself but he was lost in the moment with her. To the point it took both of them a second to realize the door to the "Lucky Room" was slowly swinging open with a creaking noise that broke through every sound they made like a knife through butter. Star was faster to act than he, realizing the situation they were in she pushed Marco down hard to lay against the bleachers and flattened herself out over top of him. Marco put a hand on her back and her head as the two held their breath while the janitor looked around inside the room for a moment. He could feel her heart beating hard against his own but was a little too terrified to appreciate the contact they were sharing. 

Without a word the door closed again and the janitor was gone, leaving them in the storage room together again. Once they were clear Marco loosened his grip on Star's body and she sat up over top of him, her hair draping down around him not unlike that day they shared together in his room. The hearts on her cheeks were a deep red, her blue eyes sparkled in the dim light. He wanted to pull her back down against him again, to continue where they had stopped but Star was up on her feet in a moment and put a hand out to help Marco up as well. "That was a close call." She said with a charming smile. 

"Yeah..." Marco said trying to hide his disappointment at the moment they'd shared together passing. Despite what they'd both enjoyed it appeared Star had decided to put a stop to it. Maybe that was for the best? He didn't know for sure. She still looked beautiful in the dark, not unlike an actual star. "I didn't think he'd actually check in here on us." 

"Me either." Star said with a tone that was hard to figure out for Marco. It wasn't disappointment but she wasn't happy either. "I guess we should get out of here before someone else notices, huh?"

"Yeah... but that might be harder now that he's out there. He could be cleaning one of the other rooms right now. And none of them are sound proofed like this one." That probably wasn't an issue though, if they were quiet sneaking out would be fairly easy. Was he making excuses to keep them there? It made him feel dirty for trying to manipulate the situation when she'd already made up her mind about what she wanted to do. 

"Oh I already figured out how to get out of here when we came in." Star said with a grin and pulled her magic dimensional scissors out of her purse. "One little hole and we can just pop outside the library and walk right back in for our books." 

"Whoa, wait a minute? You had that planned out from the beginning? Then why did you ask me how to get out?" 

"So I could keep you stuck in here and make you work on your seduction skills." Star explained and tapped her head with her wand, the blue streak of color disappearing to return her with the blonde curtain of hair she normally wore. "Otherwise you might have tried to run right away."

"So... this was all to help me talk to Jackie?" That left him even more conflicted than when he'd sneaked in here with Star to begin with. Did that mean everything they did was for that purpose? Even after they'd stopped talking. 

"Well yeah, why else would I have kept us in here?" He wondered about that and the tone of her voice made him question it further. They both knew the reasons why they should have left sooner. Because there was a girl he already liked. There was a boy Star already liked too. So what did it mean when they were alone together? What did all of that mean back there? Or was he not supposed to ask that question at all? All this time he'd been nervous about Jackie to the point it made him ache with stress. Star made his heart ache with something else and he felt it was too risky to bring it up between them. Losing his best friend because of a stupid question he should ignore was too painful to bear. 

"So... did I pass?" Marco asked as Star had pulled out here scissors, smiling at him through the dark room. She looked back at the door to make sure no one else was about to walk in on them before moving to Marco and giving him a kiss on the cheek. 

"I'd give you a passing grade." Star said cutely and used her scissors to open up a dimensional doorway for them to exit outside of the school. After passing through and out of the Lucky Room they wouldn't talk about what happened in there for the rest of the day. Funny enough they wouldn't mention Oskar or Jackie either for the rest of that night either. Instead just enjoying the company of the other. Like the very best of friends.


	4. Rainbows

Rainy days in Echo Creek took on many appearances. It could range from light showers all the way to terrifying thunder storms and everything in between. The rain could even start and stop in a moment, leaving patches in the sky of sunny spots while thick clouds blotted out parts of the sun. It was those versions that bothered Marco Diaz the most, as if the weather couldn't decide what it wanted to be and was trying to fit everything in all at once. Today it was reported there were going to be heavy showers at intermittent points throughout the day and for once the weatherman was spot on. Coming into school there had barely been a drop on the ground but once things had ended at Echo Creek Academy the skies were black and water droplets were pounding the pavement. 

Here and there various umbrellas dotted the Academy campus with prepared students making their way home. However there were more than a few who'd relied on luck to avoid getting pounded by the raindrops and it wasn't turning out as well for them. Marco of course was always prepared, he'd kept an umbrella in his locker just in case of a rainy day. The girl of his affection wasn't quite as lucky though, Jackie Lynn Thompson standing under an outdoor sun cover with her skate board in hand. It looked like she was preparing to simply use the board to cover her head as she went home, not a bad strategy but hardly as useful as an umbrella. Which left an opportunity for Marco, one that wasn't lost on his best friend. 

"Now's your chance." Star Butterfly whispered to Marco from over his shoulder. "You better move while you still can." The magical princess encouraged as they both watched Jackie get ready to walk into the rain. Sucking in some air for confidence he made his move an approached his target, Star eagerly watching from the side lines. In the past she'd tried to operate as his wing man to get Marco in Jackie's good graces, but it was time for him to fly on his own. 

"Uh, hey Jackie?" Marco said hesitantly as he got into ear shot, the pretty blond girl turning her head to look his direction and making the words nearly lodge in his throat. He pushed down that clenching feeling with full intention of not blowing this conversation. "Coming down pretty hard huh? I saw you didn't have an umbrella." 

"Yeah, my own fault though. Should have brought one, least I have a back-up." Jackie said holding her board out in front of her now to show it off to Marco. The pink heart painted in the middle standing out amongst the azure blue that made up the rest of the board's design. It was simple but cute, a prized possession of the athletic girl. "Guess you never have that problem, huh?" 

"Uh, yeah, y'know me. Always prepared." Marco laughed nervously and felt his confidence dip a bit. Was he looking dorky? Maybe she didn't want to talk to anyone since she couldn't skate today. Was this a bad idea? He was ready to retreat before remembering that he'd resolved with Star earlier that he'd follow through on this. Mustering up his remaining courage, Marco made his move. "I was thinking though, did you want to just borrow mine?" 

"Really? That's pretty cool of you." Jackie said as she took the red umbrella from Marco, popping it open with a quick button release. "Oh wait, what about you?" 

"Me? Nothing to worry about, I got the hoodie." Marco said with a little bit of cockiness as he flipped his hoodie up over his head. "Plus Star's got her magic, she could make an umbrella for the entire school." He explained while motioning to his friend behind him, who was currently turning her wand into all sorts of unique looking umbrellas to cover her head on the ride home and finding much amusement in each.

"Okay. Cool. Thanks again, I'll get it back to you tomorrow." 

"Not a problem, catch you later." Marco said with a little wave and turned away to walk towards Star, feeling really pleased with himself. In reality nothing significant had happened, but he managed to talk to her without stumbling over all his words. On top of that he even helped her out! Helped out Jackie Lynn Thompson! Didn't matter how much it rained on his head, today was a good day for him. He'd nearly returned back to the Mewni princess, who was currently holding an upside down umbrella that had some kind of weird fish floating around in water at the top when a voice called out to him.

"Hey, Marco." He froze in place. It was Jackie. "Are you hungry?" 

"Wha-wha-what? I uh.." 

"Cause I was thinking of stopping for a burger on the way home if you guys wanna come?" Her words were so unbelievable that, well, he couldn't believe it. She was inviting him out to get something to eat together. Well... technically she was inviting him and Star, but he never would have guessed in a million years she'd extend an invitation like that. Marco opened his mouth to respond to her but Star was already on top of it. 

"Oh I'm afraid I can't make it." Star said with a pleasant smile. "I've still gotta study all the weird earth culture stuff you guys have for that math test tomorrow." It was a ploy of course to get him and Jackie alone, but it left both the Earthling teenagers confused at the alien princess' words. 

"You don't have math where you come from?" Jackie asked genuinely curious. 

"A lot of our science and economy is based on pixies, quantum magic and belief. But we gotta hang out later some time soon! See you aroooooound!" Star said with a bright smile and transformed her wand into a rainbow colored umbrella, skipping away from Marco and Jackie before popping around a corner and hiding there to hear how things would turn out between them. Marco couldn't help but smile when she made her exit, but was then left to handle Jackie on his own. Trying to suppress a creeping blush on his cheeks Marco took in a deep breath to reply to her. 

"I uh... probably should get home too." Marco responded, the surprise on Jackie's face reflecting the surprise in his own mind at what came out of his mouth. "But if you want to get something to eat later some time, we can. I'll even go without you holding my umbrella hostage." Jackie laughed a little at his joke and turned to head to her own house. 

"Whatever you say Diaz, see you tomorrow." Marco gave her a small wave as she left and relaxed his very tight posture once she was out of sight. Letting out a sigh Marco walked the other direction and was quickly set upon by a confused Star. 

"Marco, what the heck!? You had that in the bag! We weren't going to find a better set up than that one. How could you let her go like that?" The blonde princess was concerned for her friend, taking this harder than Marco himself. It was true they'd done a lot to prepare him for that little exchange back there but the return was a lot more than either of them had been expecting. Now as far as Star felt here he was throwing that golden opportunity away for no reason. 

"I'm... not sure." Marco said in confusion and it didn't satisfy the girl any. "Something didn't feel right. I probably would have made a fool of myself if I'd gone, anyway." 

"Should I have said I'd go too? We can try to catch up with her if you want." Star asked trying to fix the problem but from Marco's perspective there wasn't anything to repair.

"Nah, that's not it. If anything you did amazing back there. There was just something about it that told me to wait." 

"Well... okay, if you're sure."

"Positive. By the way, do you guys really not have math on Mewni?" 

"Oh we have math, but pixies and a complicated system of faith and magic do play a big part in the economy."

"Sounds like the stock market here on Earth." Marco replied and the duo made their way home, both taking shelter together under Star's umbrella.

The walk back home was mostly uneventful. Usually Marco and Star took the school bus but with the extra attempt made to get Jackie's attention after school they'd long missed their opportunity for a ride. Not that it bothered the teens very much, the walk wasn't too far and the company was pleasant. Marco was going over in his head just what he'd been doing back there though. Jackie had invited him to hang out and he completely passed up on the offer. It was the sort of opportunity he'd dreamed of but instead of seizing it he'd chosen to walk home with Star. In fact that felt like the exact choice he'd made in his head; walk home with Star over walking with Jackie to get a burger. Even Star herself thought he'd made the wrong choice. But it felt like the right one to him somehow. 

"Doing okay, champ?" Star asked suddenly and Marco's eyes snapped back to reality, realizing he'd been drifting off as they were walking. The two were huddled together under Star's umbrella and she'd caught the look of his long gazing stare. 

"Yeah. I'm just dwelling, I guess." 

"Wishing you'd made a move like we planned?" Star asked with some encouragement in her voice.

"Nah, I don't think so. But it went good today. Thanks Star, I forgot to say that before." 

"Don't mention it. You never complain when you let me use your phone to talk to Oskar." This was true, Marco had essentially given up his phone as a two person ownership item now that Star had people she needed to call. Marco had suggested getting her a phone of her own but she didn't see the need for it, content to borrow his. Though many of her calls with the boy of her infatuation involved her sitting by the device waiting for it to ring, hours at a time. Marco had at least convinced Star by this point to do other things while awaiting whatever short conversation was going to come of when Oskar actually remembered to get on the phone. Somehow the length of those calls never bothered her though, the act was enough. "Buuuuut if you're really feeling thankful to me, you could pull out those cookies your mom made." 

"Sure thing, we still got some left." Marco pulled up his back pack and removed a Tupperware container that was previously filled with M&M cookies but now had a few left inside. Star watched gleefully as Marco removed the lid and the princess dipped her hand in to pull out a cookie and devour it. 

"Earth has the best sweets! I can't believe how good the food here is." Star reached in and grabbed another before Marco pulled out the last cookie himself and put the Tupperware back in his bag. When she had consumed the second cookie in record time Marco held up the third for her to take and Star looked it over. "You don't want it?" 

"I think you'd enjoy it more." 

"Maybe, with a little change to it." Reaching up the princess broke the cookie into two halves and ate hers up, leaving Marco with his own to enjoy. "Mmmm! Delicious."

"You know I just thought about something. You do a lot to make sure other people are happy." Star looked confused by his statement.

"Well... yeah. I just don't like seeing people sad. Why do you say that like it's something special, you do it too." Marco thought about that and found he couldn't completely agree.

"Not really. I don't want to see anyone sad either but I don't do as much to make sure people are happy like you do. Just being around you makes people happy." 

"Well being around you makes me happy too, you know." Star said with a smile that made Marco's chest beat with a thump that was starting to become familiar to him. "Are you worried that you don't make people happy enough?" 

"Not really. Maybe I'm selfish?" This was an odd conversation to have but Marco felt there was something rooted here that he was trying to figure out. "I guess I want all my friends and family to be okay but I don't really think about anyone else outside of that."

"That's not selfish Marco. No one's expecting you to make the world be full of smiles all the time. You just have to do what feels right and everything will be okay." 

"Maybe you're right..." 

"It's what I do and you just said everyone's happy around me! So it must be right." There was more to it though, something Marco felt inside. Something about what he wanted but maybe shouldn't have because it didn't feel right. It was hard to figure out but at least talking to Star made him feel better about it. She really did have a gift. 

"I think the rain is letting up." Marco commented as he felt the drops above them begin to strike her umbrella with less force, clouds in the sky were already parting the direction they were headed and it seemed they were coming up on the end of the rain itself. Once they rounded a corner and cleared some of the taller houses and hills they'd passed the duo got an eyeful.

"Oh! It's so pretty!" Star exclaimed at the sight of the rainbow that was cutting it's way through the clouds. Sunlight was beaming through the sky in a perfect location for a stream of colors to arc its way downward to Earth. Star stopped walking for a moment and Marco halted beside her to let her take it in, admiring the sight as well. While they were together he felt his hand brush up against her own and Marco suppressed a sudden urge to grab a hold of it. 

It wasn't that physical contact was something new to them. Even before he and Star had done those "certain things" together she had always been very open with giving hugs and being close. Though an emotional hug in the moment was something different from reaching out to take hold of a girls hand with deliberate action. There was something that was subtly romantic about the gesture and that was both the spark to do it in the first place and the reason he resisted following through. While the back of his hand pressed to hers he felt how soft her skin was and it made him tremble slightly. Actually it made him tremble a lot, especially in the feet. 

Thinking about it Marco wasn't shaking from anything he was doing at all. Star blinked out of her admiring stare and turned to the boy. "Hey, do you feel that? It's like it's coming from..." They both looked down into a mud puddle they'd stopped to stand in and there were eyes in the puddle looking back up. 

After a short scream of terror the mud exploded upward with Star and Marco diving in opposite directions. Star landed on the lawn of the house nearby while Marco was out on the pavement, a giant cube of mud between them acting as a barrier. The creature looked between the teens and suddenly produced two pairs of muscular arms from its body to face off against both. Star narrowed her eyes as she sized the monster up. "This has Ludo written all over it." 

"Right you are!" A voice called out from above as everyone, even the mud monster, looked upward to see the leader of the forces of evil himself floating above them on a bat that was even bigger than his own diminutive size. Ludo might have been the height of a toddler when standing on his own feet but he managed to command a force of monsters to carry out his bidding without question. Marco didn't know what the green, beak faced freak had on all those creatures to keep them in line but they followed him without question. "And as for you!" Ludo shouted pointing at the mud monster. "You had them in the palm of your hands, don't let them slip away again!" The creature groaned at getting scolded and prepared to fight off the princess and her friend, the duo ready for a battle. 

"Bring it on, mud pie." Star said and transformed her umbrella back to its original wand form. When the beast lunged her direction with its thick arms she was ready. "Walnut Crunch Beam!" The princess shouted and fired a bolt of light the contained walnuts and squirrels within the blast. Who knew how or why stuff like that was always in her magic but it was effective none the less. Marco was handling his own side of the beast at the same time, using well placed punches and kicks to severe the arms of mud as they came at him. 

"I'm going to need so many moist towelettes after we're done." Marco complained and kept fighting. Even with this new monster that was apart from Ludo's normal gang of thugs things seemed to be going in the teens' favor. Each time the mud monster produced more limbs to fight, Star and Marco were both able to dodge and knock his limbs off before he could hurt them. Still he continued to produce more. And more. And more still. As the fight carried on Ludo watched from above in amusement. 

"Getting tired?" He asked with a wicked grin, Star panting hard but not stepping down from the challenge. 

"No!" She snapped back, hair frazzled and her dress spattered in bits of mud. "If anything I'm even less tired! I love mud! Raaaargh!" Star shot a blast of energy through the cube of mud's body, Marco ducking just in time to avoid being caught up in it as well. They looked through to see each other on the opposite side of the dirty wall before it filled in again with two floating eyes divided between watching them both. "What is with this guy!?"

"Now you see the beauty in Mud Pie's strength!" Ludo cackled. "Go ahead and wear yourselves out bashing against him all day. You'll get tired, he won't." 

"Wait a second," Marco asked in sudden realization. "His name really is Mud Pie? That's just silly." For taking his eyes off the fight for a moment Marco got a fist of mud in the face, which while dazing him and being painful also left his face covered in grime. "...ew." 

"Focus Marco!" Star shouted across the mud cube. "We gotta beat this thing!" 

"But how? It just keeps reforming the more we beat on it." Marco had resorted to just dodging attacks at this point, finding his strikes were fairly useless. Star thought their position over for a moment and came up with an idea. 

"I got it! Beat it senseless!" 

"... got literally any other idea?" 

"Nope! Trust me okay?" Star asked him hopefully and Marco sighed, clenching his fists together. "Okay... attack!" The teens threw themselves into the fight harder than before, now punching with a ferocity that prevented the cube from being able to form new limbs in time to fight back against them. Mud splashed all around them as they struck blow after blow against the monster, hearts pounding and gasping for breath. Before long Marco found that the barrier between him and Star had shrunk considerably, and in fact so had their opponent. Each strike removing more of the muddy mass that made up the creature, shrinking it down faster than it could reform. Until it was just a small cube of filth that barely came up to their knees. 

"Wow..." Marco said between deep breaths, looking down at the angry pair of eyes staring up at them. "I can't believe that worked." 

"Aw, he's kinda cute when he's tiny like this." Star said with a little admiration for the angry mud monster. "Okay, gimme that cookie container real quick!" She asked and held her arms out, Marco digging through his bag quickly and pulling out the plastic box that had held their treats not long ago. Before the creature could pull itself together Star slapped it hard with the open part of the container and flipped it around, closing the air tight lid. Lifting it upward they were able to see two eyes looking around as it was held helplessly inside. "There we go, monster beaten!" 

"Yeah, and just our clothes had to be sacrificed to do it." Marco said looking themselves over, finding they were both covered in mud from head to toe. While Marco was annoyed he'd have to probably hose off outside in the yard Ludo was fuming angrily, landing his bat on the ground and waddling over to the teens. 

"You idiot! How could you let them take advantage of you like that!?" Ludo screamed at the plastic container full of mud that mad sad bubbling noises in return to him. "No excuses, this has been a total disaster. I can't believe I went and hired outside help. You didn't even do as good as my monsters!" Reaching into a pocket on the dirty robes he wore, Ludo produced a pair of dimensional scissors that he used to cut open a whole in space and time, leading back to his castle. "Can I have my monster back now?" 

"Only if you promise to wash and return this after you're done. I gotta give this back to my mom." Marco explained and handed the container to the defeated warlord, Ludo grumbling angrily under his breath about what he'd like to do to Marco's mom before walking through the rift and disappearing. 

"Well that was fun!" Star said smiling brightly. "Should we get home?" 

"Oh yes, please. I've never needed a shower more than now."

"Aw, what's the big deal silly? It's just mud." Star sad and threw a little on Marco's already filthy hoodie. "People get mud baths in Mewni all the time. It's good for your complexion." Picking up another batch she rubbed it on her cheeks as if to illustrate. Marco however crossed his arms, still not amused. 

"Yeah but that's not mud. That's whatever mud like stuff that thing was made out of. Which who knows what else is mixed in there with it." Star's eyes opened wide as she realized what he was saying and stopped rubbing the previously alive and moving organic substance on her skin.

"Let's get home and shower right now." 

"Glad you agree." They sped up their pace on the way back this time around, leaving a trail of muddy foot prints behind them. Normally Marco would have felt bad making such a mess but there was really no way he knew to avoid it. He'd asked Star if she had anything that might have helped get them insta-clean with her wand but she reminded him that if she could that she wouldn't need showers at all. So back to the house it was for them. 

When they arrived and got to the front door Marco got a grave realization and cut Star off before she could enter. "Wait!" The boy shouted, making the princess freeze in her tracks. "We can't go through the house like this, we'll make a mess of everything!" 

"Oh yeah, guess I didn't think about that." Star rubbed her chin as she contemplated what to do next. Suddenly she snapped her fingers in realization. "I got it!" Pulling off her backpack Star carefully reached in and produced her own pair of dimensional scissors. "Tah dah! I don't normally use these for short range travel but we can just warp right to the bathroom with these." 

"Star you're brilliant!" Marco praised and watched as the princess cut a rip into the air.

"Don't I know it!" She said with a cocky tone. "Okay, ready to get clean?" 

"Yeah, you bet! I... uh... wait." Marco suddenly realized something. "We only have one shower." 

"I know." Star explained. "But we're both covered head to toe in yuck. I know you can't stand it, so we should get clean as soon as possible." Marco swallowed a lump in his throat and hoped there wasn't any mud stuff in his mouth when he did. She was looking at him impatiently, expecting Marco to pass through the portal and jump into the shower. Where she would follow right after him, and they'd clean off together. Naked, in a steamy hot shower. One with not much room to move around in at that. It was a dangerously tempting invitation and Star didn't see a problem with that at all, despite the activities they'd done together in the past. Marco felt his foot begin to move and he flexed his muscles to hold them still. 

"Actually, why don't you go first?" Star looked on in complete surprise. 

"Marco, are you having a nervous break down from being completely covered in dirt?" Almost, yes. But that wasn't why he was resisting the second most amazing offer he'd been given by a beautiful blonde girl today. 

"Nah, I just think you should get to go first. I'll be in the back yard when you're done, okay? You can take your time if you want." 

"Well... okay, if you say so. I'll try not to be long." Star said looking worried and Marco wasn't sure if it was his refusal to get clean or to get into a shower with her that was making her that way. When she stepped through the rift and it closed behind her Marco went behind his house to the back yard and sat in a lawn chair, letting out a huge sigh and trying to cool down. 

"I can't believe she did that." Marco said out loud and looked up at the sky, completely bewildered. Also he was amazed he'd turned her down. It wasn't that long ago Marco had tried to clasp her hand in his because he wanted to know what that sort of intimate feeling would be like. He'd been tempted to be closer to her despite his reasoning not to. And now that she was offering to get just about as close as they could together he was turning her down? "I don't know what I'm doing anymore." 

What was wrong with him? Was he developing feelings for his best friend? That felt wrong to him in some way. Not to mention they both had individual crushes they were trying to pursue. Heck they were even trying to help one another in getting a date. He couldn't deny that everything they'd done together in the past had felt so good; that night at the beach, in his room, in the library. But in some way he knew that was just them messing around. The last one was even to help him be more confident to ask Jackie out. At least that's what Star had said was the reason she'd done it. So that's all there was to it... right?

Marco didn't know how much time had passed before there was that odd magical sound near by and another rift opened up to let him into the bathroom. Steam was wafting out of the hole in the air and Marco heard Star call for him to come in now. He wasn't sure what state of dress she might have been in after her last invitation but Marco wasn't about to refuse a second time; he really wanted to wash the dirt off. Stepping through the portal it closed behind him and Marco was able to make out Star's figure through the steam. 

It wasn't quite what he'd expected. Far from the picture of the naked figure he'd had in his mind, Star was covered in fabric. She had a big, fluffy robe on around her body and her long hair was tied up in a towel around her head. Even her feet were covered in matching fluffy slippers for her to walk through the bathroom without fear of slipping. "Sorry if I took too long." 

"Nah, you're fine. I'm up next I guess."

"I threw my clothes into a pile of towels on the ground since they were still kinda dirty and I didn't want to throw them into the hamper." Star motioned to a towel on the floor that had been wrapped up by the corners to contain the mess. "I figured it would be a good idea for you too if you wanted." Marco agreed with her and began to take off his hoodie, Star hesitating for a moment before she left. "Say Marco, would you brush my hair tonight?" 

"Brush your hair? But I thought you figured out how to do it with your magic now?"

"I did, it just feels better when you do it." Star said with a grin and Marco couldn't help but smile in return.

"Alright, just let me get cleaned up all the way and I'll take care of it tonight." 

"Yay! Thank you Marco, you're the best!" Star said excitedly and nearly hugged Marco before stopping short and realizing the disaster that would have been in her white robe, instead just exiting the bathroom happily. Somehow seeing her like that was even better than having been in the bathroom when she'd been in the shower herself... but just barely. 

One long, thorough cleaning session later the house was devoid of hot water and Marco was devoid of any little mud bits still on his person. Star had been right about their clothes, even after washing them off in the shower they were just soaked in mud and isolating them was the only smart move left to do. He could wash them up later on when they had the time. With all the small trims and checks he performed on himself before he exited the shower the sun had nearly gone down over the horizon. But for Marco being cleanly was never too much effort. Who wanted to walk around and find a bit of mud stuck some place you couldn't get out without the need of a rest room? 

Once he was done Marco got into his own maroon colored robe and exited the bathroom. Star's door was closed so he figured she was probably resting after the intense day they'd had. He could still check on her later if she wanted to get her hair brushed. Kind of an odd request but not one he was against doing for her. The only other time he'd ever brushed her hair was that night on the beach and that had turned into a snuggle session he wasn't able to forget. 

Making his own escape to his room Marco closed the door behind him and went right for his closet. Comfy pajamas were required for tonight and he aimed to get in them and relax. Pulling out the hanger the pajamas had been carefully hung onto, Marco undid the belt of his robe and turned around to lay it on his bed. Though he stopped when he saw a grinning Star Butterfly sitting on said bed with eyes very intently staring his direction. She was currently dressed in her own night gown and had her knees pressed up against her chest, wand in hand as she whispered. "Marco's naked." 

"Waaah!" Marco let out a surprised yell, closing his robe and turning away. "Star, what are you doing in here!?" 

"I thought you forgot about me, so I came to check on you." The princess said with a little laugh but Marco was still flustered from nearly bearing it all before her. "Didn't think I'd beat you here though. You sure take long showers." 

"I was really dirty!" Marco said trying to hide his embarrassment under being upset.

"Well you're clean now." Star said with a giggle and Marco glared at her. "Oh, don't be mad. I didn't actually see anything, honest. I was just so surprised you didn't even notice me."

"Okay okay... can I get dressed first before I take care of your hair?" 

"Sure thing, I'll see you in a biiiiit!" Star said and happily exited Marco's room, leaving the boy alone to finally get dressed. He sighed and really hoped his parents didn't catch them traveling between their rooms with the doors closed like this. Normally Mr. and Mrs. Diaz trusted their son without a doubt in the world, but even his father knew a boy's limits. They'd had a talk years ago about the rules of visiting the exchange students rooms in the middle of the night. Particularly when the student they were hosting was a girl. At the time he'd been a little too young to understand why if it was a girl that it would matter. Tonight though he understood completely what he'd meant. 

After getting dressed Marco made he was through the hall to Star's bedroom. No one heard him pass through as a light rain shower had begun outside again to provide him with cover, small taps hitting against the roof creating a comfortable ambiance. When he reached her door Marco carefully opened it and slipped his body inside, closing it behind him as lightly as he could. Once the door was shut he let out the breath he'd been holding in. Across the room the princess was in front of her large ornate magic mirror, tapping on the glass while images of her mother Queen Butterfly flashed by. "Hey Star, I made it." 

"Oh, okay! Great! Gimme just a second, I'm going through my messages." Star said as she continued to tap the screen after letting each message play for a few moments. Her mirror was kind of like a video phone and a tablet put together but surprisingly with less abilities. She could send and receive calls on it between worlds and dimensions but that was about all it could do from what he'd seen. Marco sat on the end of Star's bed while she went through the messages and finally reached the end. Once it was over she walked over to the bed and fell on it as if she were ready to pass out. "Sheesh." 

"Your mom's been checking up on you a lot?" 

"Every other day she leaves me some sort of royal advice for the future. I'm all the way here on Earth learning how to use this magical wand and she's still bugging me about being queen one day. Ugh!" Star covered her face with her pillow and splayed her arms out to either side of her again. Marco watched her lay completely silent for a moment in amusement before picking up the hair brush Star had set on the bed for him. 

"Need a little something to help relax?" When he suggested it Star flung her pillow off her face to the head of the bed and sat right up, turning to face away from Marco and pushing her hair out and away from herself to make it easier to brush. When Marco began to carefully comb through her long, blonde locks Star giggled happily and scooted a little closer to him to give him more reach. 

"I really needed this, thank you a bunch Marco." Star said gleefully. "And um... sorry I snuck into your room. I really didn't see anything, I promise." 

"It's okay Star. I'm technically sneaking into your room right now too, so I guess we're even." There were some pretty big differences, primarily that he'd been invited and Star had not, but they were willing to over look that to not ruin the moment. "So are you and your mom doing okay?" 

"Yeah, I think so. I mean I love my mom and everything but she's always so strict and telling me what to do. I just want to have fun, you know? Not think about all that stupid royal stuff. Especially when I'm not even on Mewni." 

"That does sound tiring." Marco lifted Star's hair in his hands to carefully remove some tangles. The princess made a content, relaxed noise when she felt his fingers move through her hair and Marco tried to ignore how pleasant it sounded. 

"I kinda wish my mom was like yours. She's so nice and cool all the time. So's your dad. You're really lucky to have parents like that Marco." 

"I... guess? I love them and all but honestly they're kinda weird." Marco had always considered his parents to be rather eccentric compared to most adults. They rolled with odd things so well and loved to get involved with anything exciting, regardless of how dangerous or messy it might be. A perfect pair for them but Marco preferred things to be a little more orderly. 

"Really? But you're just like them."

"I'm gonna ignore you said that." Star giggled to herself at his comment, never really understanding why Marco felt he needed to distance himself from his folks. The whole family was great as far as she was concerned. She sat quietly and enjoyed the brushing for a bit more, just soaking in the good vibes before moving on to the other topic that had been on her mind.

"Hey Marco, why did you really not go with Jackie today?" 

"This again? I told you already that it just didn't feel like it was the right time. Besides if I hadn't come with you you might have been ambushed by that monster today." 

"Then you wouldn't have gotten dirty." Star suggested. 

"I'll roll in all the mud in the world before I let someone hurt my bestie." Star couldn't quell the small "awww" that came out of her mouth when he said that. "Maybe that's why I didn't feel like leaving, I might have psychic powers." 

"You're the Psychic Karate Man now?" Star asked jokingly. 

"It does sound cool, doesn't it? Karate chopping people's minds."

"Don't go peaking inside too many girls heads, PKM." Star said jovially, but the issue still gnawed at her. "Say Marco, even if you do feel like you need to watch out for me, I think next time you get invited out some where you should go." The line of dialogue was getting a little more serious than Marco had expected for tonight and he stopped brushing for a moment to address this. 

"Okay, what's gotten into you? Even if there's something fun for me to do I'm not going to turn my back on you just to have a good time." 

"I'm not asking for that, but... I don't want you to miss out on an opportunity because of me." Star felt Marco's hands fall onto her shoulders with a firm grip, something that surprised her enough to make her back straighten in surprise. Then suddenly she was shook lightly by him. "Wh-wh-wh-wh-whaaa?" When he stopped Star turned her head to look at the smiling boy behind her. 

"There, hope I shook out all those nasty doubts. Cause the Star I know should know already that she'd never be a burden to her friends." Star smiled warmly in return and suddenly slid backwards into Marco, pulling his arms up around her into a hug. It was a more intimate embrace than he'd been expecting but when he applied a little squeeze to her Star made a happy noise and seemed to be back to her old self. 

"Okay, all the nasty doubts are gone." 

"Good." Marco said happily, finding this arrangement together to be very comfortable. Possibly too much, as his enjoyment of her being pressed against him was becoming more and more apparent with the erection starting to press against her backside where she sat. To her credit Star didn't complain or even seem to notice, just leaning against him and enjoying the hug. The position reminded Marco of their night on the beach together and that didn't serve to help him with his growing problem. Star adjusted her body a little at felt the object pressing against her butt eagerly.

"Feeling happy with yourself, Diaz?" Star asked in a tone that was almost flirtatious and Marco's cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"S-sorry, I'll get off your bed..." Marco went to move away but Star's arms kept a grip around him, holding him in place. 

"You're going to take care of it later, aren't you?" Star asked and Marco was sure he knew what she meant but didn't want to jump to those kinds of conclusions. 

"Take... care of it?" 

"Yeah. It." Star confirmed and slid herself back enough to put plenty of pressure on "It".

"I... um... I guess so yeah. It's what guys do, y'know?" He was happy Star had her back to him because he wasn't sure if he could maintain eye contact with a conversation like this. Getting an erection when he was trying to make her feel better was bad enough but now she was asking him if he masturbated? Of course he did, he was fourteen and had an internet connection.

"I know." Star said, sounding a little embarrassed herself. It was odd to see her less confident but also kind of cute. "Girls do it too, you know."

"I... think I knew that?" He'd certainly seen enough videos about it in his time, but really Marco never heard a girl talk about that sort of thing. He always thought if a girl wanted something like that they didn't have to resort to doing it themselves. How hard could it be to find a guy they liked to help them?

"... how about I do it for you?" Star asked after what felt like a long pause during a very short period and Marco was trying to determine how to say no when everything below his waist was screaming yes.

"I'm... Star I'm not even supposed to be in your room with the door closed." Kissing together had been one thing, even showing each other their exposed bodies but not taking it any farther had been within the boundaries they'd wordlessly created for each other since that day. But something this direct, this open and sexual together felt very different. "I don't want to do something that... I don't want to lose my best friend." Star's fingers gripped Marco's arms nearly tight enough that he could feel her nails but she still wouldn't let go. 

"You think if we do that... we can't be friends anymore?"

"No. But I don't want to do something that will make you upset or... I don't know." He wanted it, of course he wanted it. But he was scared because it was new and different and kind of weird. What if they did something and Star wasn't comfortable being around him anymore. He didn't want to lose her, even if that meant passing up on something he really wanted. "Does it sound dumb if I say I'm scared I'll mess it up?" 

"No, it doesn't. You don't want things to change, right?" Marco nodded behind her. "Okay then, I know what to do." Star let her fingers relax their grip on Marco's arm and picked up her wand. It glowed with a faint magic and the ties that secured the curtains around her canopy bed came undone, surrounding them in darkness. The glow of her wand was all that allowed them to see before Star cast another small spell. Above them on the roof of the canopy a small lamp appeared that was colored like a rainbow. It flashed in the various neon colors in a slow, calm pattern. "There, now we're in a special dimension." 

"Say what?" 

"Don't you see, this is the Starco dimension. A place where Star and Marco can say and do whatever they like without it ever changing the outside world. It's completely safe so that they can be themselves without having to worry about what anyone else says." The princess said proudly of her creation, leaning her head back to look up at Marco. 

"This place can do all of that?" Marco asked hesitantly. 

"If you believe in it." Star said hopefully as she looked up at him with her pretty blue eyes. The bed wasn't actually magic, it probably wasn't even sound proof. Still the curtains were thick and the light inside shined in pretty colors that seemed to accent the beautiful girl in front of him. Should he go along with something like this when none of his concerns had really been addressed at all? "What do you say?" 

"I say... I want to kiss you." Why not believe? It was magic after all. As magical as the smile Star gave him in return when he leaned down to kiss her lips. It was an awkward position to do it from but they still managed to find some enjoyment in feeling their lips touch again until Star couldn't keep bending her neck that way any longer. Breaking the kiss she straightened her back out and cracked her neck. "Sorry, not the best position huh?" 

"I don't know about that." Star said with a mischievous grin and lifted herself off the bed slightly, pulling up her night gown to expose the white panties she was wearing underneath. Moving backwards into Marco's lap Star pressed herself against him awkwardly. "I saw something like this on one of those videos online, so I hope it's good." Placing her hands on Marco's thighs, Star began to rub her butt against him in up and down motions. While it took some effort out of the girl it wasn't unappreciated as Marco was now leaning back on his hands as well and watching her work as the colors above them changed.

It was a simple and a little clumsy action to try and arouse him further, but it was effective. Marco felt himself pressing right up against her ass with each movement and Star started to move herself a little quicker as she got used to the motion. Even if her amateur lap dance was making him feel good she was starting to tire out from doing all of the work on top of him. "St-star?" 

"Yeeeah?" Her voice was low and breathy, something Marco could tell if she was making herself do or if it was coming naturally to her. Either way he liked it a lot. 

"Do you want to... nngh, oh wow." Star giggled and his groan encouraged her more. 

"I can't hear you." She said teasingly. 

"Do you want to try it... the other way. Facing each other?" Star agreed with the suggestion and pulled herself away from Marco's lap, much to his momentary relief and disappointment all at once. When she had moved around to face him Star had straddled his hips and lowered herself onto his lap. Once in place Marco put his arms around her back and Star put hers around his neck. They spent a moment gazing at the eyes across from them and they both froze. The colors bathing them changing from blue to indigo to violet, making it seem all the more exotic and exciting. 

"Um... wow. It's a little harder, while looking at you." Star admitted with a blush on her cheeks, the lamp changing to a red light that made her face glow.

"Is it because you don't want to see me?" Marco asked, his fingers lacing together on her lower back for fear she might leave his lap now. 

"No I just... get distracted looking at you." Star said with a smile and leaned in closer. Marco met her half way and the teens returned to a much more comfortable kiss this time around. It wasn't as clumsy as their time at the library, the pair now more comfortable with their boundaries. When Marco opened his mouth to let his tongue move freely star opened hers as well to meet him. It was that kiss that got Marco to push his hips up against Star and make her suck in a sudden breath of air. 

When he felt the positive reaction in her body Marco tried to replicate it by moving his hips again. His rolling motion being met with a press back downward from the princess. With some work and resistance for the desire to move much faster than either of them were ready for, Marco and Star managed to get a rough rhythm going together with their hips that caused their kiss to separate. Star leaned her head forward and rested it against Marco's neck, letting out hot breaths of anticipation to see how much farther they could push themselves. "You really like this, huh?" Star asked between pants, her fingers holding onto his shirt tightly as the pressed into one another. 

"Uh huh." Was about all Marco could get out intelligently before his hands slipped down from Star's lower back and onto her ass. The princess let out a yelp of surprise but didn't force his hand away, instead enjoying the added pressure of his fingers on her back side. It was new and exciting and thrilling while feeling so very pleasurable. More than the eager princess could resist. Leaning back in his lap Star reached forward and began to undo the buttons on Marco's shirt. With almost lightning speed she'd had his pajama top completely unbuttoned and off his shoulders before Marco could understand how he'd gotten this way. Though he knew naturally what to do next. 

Reaching down Marco pulled Star's nightgown up over her hips and Star lifted her arms into the air to help him remove it. With the garment missing Star's chest was exposed to him again and the princess pressed her chest to his, leaning up against his ear. "I can feel your heart." 

"Y-yeah... I can feel yours too. It's going so fast." Star giggled lightly and kissed his neck, making Marco jump. 

"Yours is pounding." Star said between kisses against his skin, something that was new to Marco and more sensitive than he was planning to feel. His body jumped with each kiss and Star reveled in it, licking his neck lightly up to his ear.

"S-Star!" 

"Mmhm?" 

"I want to as well." 

"You want to what?" Marco answered by leaning forward in their sitting position, causing Star to be bent back against her knees at an uncomfortable angle with his eagerness. "Whoa! Marco wait! Wait wait!" After convincing the hormone fueled boy to hold back his advances for just a moment Star was able to rearrange her legs to curl around his waist instead, letting her lean freely. "Okay, that's better. My legs hurt the other way." 

"Sorry, can I try to make it up to you?" Star nodded happily and Marco leaned forward towards her breasts. It wasn't the first time he'd seen them but it was the first time he'd been this close to her heart like this. Not just her heart but the heart shaped areolas that surrounded her nipples. "They're really cute." 

"Marco, it's embarrassing to just stare at them." Agreeing with her Marco moved his mouth forward and put his lips around her left breasts, his tongue playing at the soft skin. Star let out a deep groan that wasn't quite as rampant as the previous panting but still demonstrated her enjoyment. As his mouth played around at her chest Marco began to lean forward and lower Star onto her pillows on the bed. Raising her arms up to give him further access to her body, Star gripped onto her wand for support and watched her friend lick from one breast to the other. Her nipples were stiff against his lips and the way she moaned seemed to suggest she enjoyed this a lot more than either of them expected. She was so beautiful, so sexy, it made him hungry for more. Slowly his hand moved down and caressed her hips and her thigh, before gripping onto the edge of her panties. "Wait!" 

The cry to stop caught him completely off guard, Marco looking up from where he'd been doing his business a moment ago with confusion. Using her free hand Star reached down and pulled his hand away from her panties, pulling them back up over her hip. "Not that. Not yet. I'm not ready." Star said through excited breaths. "I'm sorry but I'm just not, okay? Just... just this far. As far as we are now. Is that alright?" The sudden refusal had left him a little dazed but he understood what she was saying. Despite his eagerness there was only one course of action he had to take. 

"Okay... I won't go further. Sorry." 

"Don't be sorry." Star said through a smile. "And take your pants off, it's not fair if I'm the only one like this." The suggestion was taken like an order, Marco removing his pants faster than he ever had previously in his life. "Wow." 

"I didn't want things to be unfair." Marco said with a smile and Star grinned, pulling him back towards her and into a kiss. As their lips played with each other again Marco lined his hips up with Star's until their bodies were pressed together appropriately. She could feel how hard he was, pressing through his clothes against her. Marco could feel the heat coming off her body and the dampness between her legs. But honestly with how hot it was in these curtains and how sweaty they'd become it was hard to find a part of them that wasn't soaking. When their kiss broke they gazed into the eyes of their lover in the changing lights and nodded slightly, their hips moving against each other once more. 

This time it was Marco over her and putting in the majority of the effort, but it didn't matter to him as he was happy to do so. Their arms kept tight around each other and Star began to groan against his ear from the friction he was causing through her panties. With all the starts and stops they'd already had Marco was nearly ready to burst but he was doing everything in his power to hold it back. He wanted Star to feel as good as him too. Remembering how nice her kissed on him had been Marco leaned forward and kissed Star's neck to great result. 

"Oooh! Nngh. Marcooooo. Not fair." Her neck was soft and sweaty as the rest of her skin, Marco enjoying the noises she made when he kissed her. Moving his lips upward his mouth eventually made it's way to her ear and softly nibbled at her earlobe. "Marcooo! Nooo!" Her legs seemed to squeeze around his hips and that was all he needed to begin pressing himself harder into her. Sadly that was enough to also break him as Marco leaned in and groaned hard, reaching climax and moaning into hear ear as he pressed hard into her. Star groaned in response and gripped onto his hair. "Just a little more..."

"Wha-what?" 

"Just a little more, keep going!" Her hips didn't stop pressing to him despite reaching his orgasm and Marco felt that stopping wasn't an option at this point. Putting his arms around her Marco began to push his hips even harder against her, his erection still pressing to her with his orgasm only having just past. The more effort he put in the harder Star's hips pushed against him until they were lifting off the bed. When her gasps grew even louder Marco reached up and held her hand that wasn't gripping her wand. Her fingers laced into his with crushing strength as she pulled her wand down to bite onto the end of it, the magical artifact glowing white with her excitement. Pressing up against Marco her legs shook hard as her voice deepened in a moan with the sudden hit of her own climax. Soon after her hips feel back against the bed, weak and shivering. Her mouth was gently chewing onto the end of her now slightly glowing wand and her hand kept tight hold of Marco even after her orgasm. She opened her blue eyes slowly and looked up at him. "Told you girls do it too." 

"Yeah... they sure do." Marco said and rolled over to the side of the princess, gasping for air along with her. Seemed it took a little more work and dedication to satisfy her as much as himself. Either that or he'd just been so ready to blow that it was a miracle he'd held it in as long as he did. Either way they were both coming down from their high together and laid in the dimly let canopy bed of ever changing colors, staring at each other with large smiles on their faces. "Wow." 

"Happy you enjoyed it." Star said with an almost innocent grin of pure happiness around her wand.

"It was amazing." Was really the only words Marco could think of to describe it. Well that and messy. They were covered in sweat from both of their bodies, not to mention the other substances that were currently stained against their clothing. "I think we're going to need another shower though." 

"In a minute." Star said and hugged onto Marco in her bed. It felt good and he returned it with a great deal of affection. "You can have it first this time." 

"Okay. As long as I don't fall asleep." Marco commented through droopy eyes as a yawn crept in. 

"You better not. The Starco dimension cannot protect you from your parents seeing you after you exit this bed." 

"Can't help it, it feels too nice here." That got him an extra squeeze in Star's embraced, which just further justified his words. "You're right though, I should sneak out before anyone sees me leave your room." 

"Don't worry, it should be easy. No one outside this special dimension can even tell what goes on behind the curtain." A true statement, no one was able to see what had gone on in the "Starco Dimension". Nor did they see the boy as he crept out of the princess' room and into the bathroom to clean himself off for a second time. Without a trace of direct evidence they'd managed to feel a burning passion neither had ever encountered before and keep it secret between them. Sleeping soundly in the night afterwards with only the minor annoyance of what seemed to be a colorful police light outside the house windows. Not that either teen bothered to investigate, they were both too tired after a second shower from their time together. 

However Buff Frog, the monster spy of Ludo that had been hiding in a nearby tree to the Diaz residence did suspect something happened that night. Not that he'd seen their actions together in Star's room, but rather it was due to the giant rainbow that shined over the roof of the house in the shape of a heart that was flashing colors over the neighborhood. It had appeared in what could only be described as a sudden climactic explosion of light and held itself together long afterwards. Besides that there wasn't another sign of activity, leaving the monster to relax in his perch. "Well, guess I won't be returning this any time soon." Tossing aside the plastic cookie container he'd brought with him, everyone on the Diaz property settled in for a relaxing night's sleep.


	5. Stars

Some responsibilities that you were resolved to do no matter how you felt about them. Things that you'd taken upon yourself or that had been appointed to you, which without your action would fall to ruin. Marco Diaz wasn't new to responsibilities as he'd been charged with caring and assisting a number of exchange students that had stayed in his home for years now. On top of all of this were his normal routine of homework, house work and simple daily exercise for his hobby in martial arts. You could easily assume that if any of his responsibilities was considered a chore it would have been having to care for their newest exchange student. Star Butterfly was unique, even by the standards of the far off travelers Marco had come to know over the years. A magical princess who was on the verge of being attacked by monsters on a weekly basis seemed like the perfect recipe to drive an organized boy like Marco over the edge.

However this was so far from the truth it was almost a joke. Marco loved spending time with Star and all her silly antics, something about her made him feel more alive than all the previous visitors combined. Even the monster attacks didn't bother him as it allowed his practice in martial arts to find a use outside of the dojo and exercise. Instead of the stress of life threatening adventures, these days it was his daily life's chores that were bogging him down. Saturday morning with the sun shining and Marco was out in the yard with his father, helping him landscape and pull offending weeds despite wanting to be anywhere else. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy spending time with his father but he'd rather be using today for more worthwhile activities like watching TV or playing video games. You know, things that weren't a waste of time.

Pulling a few of the offending plants around the base of the fence, Marco dropped them into an old plastic grocery bag and proceeded along at a bored pace. His father meanwhile was setting up a new stone carving he'd created on one of the pedestal in the back yard. Ludo's regular attacks on the house had left a few of his Mr Diaz's previous creations destroyed but somehow it didn't bother him. Rather he saw this as an excuse to create more art to fill his yard and was oddly fulfilled by challenging himself in the process. By the time Marco had made a lap around the entire house with his weeding, Mr. Diaz had finished setting up a statue of a poodle balancing on a ball while balancing another ball on its nose. Marco couldn't made sense of it but he figured his dad knew more about modern art than himself. 

"Marco, come on over and tell me what you think." Mr. Diaz called out and Marco finished his task by tying up the bag with its handles and dumping it into the larger trash receptacle they had in the yard. Walking over next to his father the boy looked the piece over in confusion. 

"It's... a dog?" Marco asked not sure what more he could comment on it. "It's a good dog. Talented too, balancing like that." 

"Yes yes, do you think it is better in the front yard or the back yard?" Mr. Diaz asked and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Marco wanted to say backyard if just to keep it out of sight of the neighbors, but honestly by now everyone was aware of his parents' peculiar tastes. It's not to say their house looked bad, but his father had interesting ideas of how to add flourish in small ways. 

"You want to put it in the front yard, don't you?" Marco asked with a smile.

"Well I wouldn't want to deny everyone such a good dog. Front yard it is!" Mr. Diaz decided and picked the stone dog up with great ease, Marco following along behind him with the stone pillar to display it on. After a few minutes of set up everyone driving by would get a view of the good and talented dog. Marco might hear a few comments on the crazy statue in his front yard again from kids at school but by this point people rarely brought it up anymore. Can only talk about something for so long before everyone starts to accept it as normal. Just trying living in such a house, your view of what's weird and wild will change pretty quickly.

With that move their work was complete, Marco's father grabbing a pair of sodas for themselves and drinking them down. The boy sat on the front porch and let out a tired breath, working in the sun in the morning always wore him out. Somehow though his dad just seemed to get rejuvenated with each task they did. Mr. Diaz took a few moments to look over his stone piece before turning to his son. "Good work today. Now the back yard is all cleaned up for tonight." 

"Yeah, thanks for that." Marco said as his mind drifted off a bit. In a way it was his fault that they had started this early morning activity. After mentioning to Star that tonight there would be a meteor shower visible in the sky the Mewni princess had become thrilled with the idea of seeing it. He would have thought something like this would have been on her own planet too but apparently Mewni was more unusual than he thought. Always seeming to lack the common things of his own Earth while adding the unusual to everything else. But now that she was set on checking it out his father had gone to getting a viewing party set up for the two of them, complete with lawn chairs and a table for a pizza dinner for the kids. It was going to be fun, he liked showing Star new things. 

"So Star is out for most of today?" Mr. Diaz asked curiously. 

"She's hanging out with some friends from school, doing girl stuff I guess." Or hounding after Oskar. Or both. Marco didn't really know what she was up to but Star could take care of herself and she needed to explore sometimes without him guiding her by the hand. "She'll be back by tonight though, already said she would." 

"Mm-hm." Mr. Diaz mumbled with an interested tone that warned Marco something was up. "Just going to stay home then?"

"Yeah, didn't feel like going out and Star has my phone anyway so if Ferguson calls he's going to get her. And... now that I think about it I haven't heard from Alfonzo in a while. He's probably okay though." 

"I see." Mr. Diaz said simply in response and sat on the front porch next to his son, and act that really made Marco nervous because his dad usually didn't sit around for long anywhere. "Do you enjoy having Star staying here with us?" 

"Well yeah! It's been a lot of fun having her here. Everyone at school gets along great with her too." 

"She is a sweet girl. We were lucky to get someone so nice to stay with us. So you don't mind having to show her things still? Being from that Mewni place must make it more difficult than some of our other exchange students." 

"No. Come to think of it, it's been easier than some of the other ones. She doesn't even have an accent so talking to her isn't even difficult." It was pretty odd that Mewni spoke the exact same kind of English you'd find in America, but the place being a magical wonderland full of monsters was already weird enough. He supposed speaking the same thing where ever they went had something to do with magic or another. 

"This is also good. It seems like you've become inseparable friends since Star arrived." Marco couldn't argue with that. Truth be told he didn't really think about what life was like before Star had moved in. Ever since the first day after he'd over come their rocky start, having Star around felt very natural. Sure some days the house was completely transformed from her magic but in a weird way this didn't feel out of place for Marco. He'd go as far as to say it was comforting seeing the effects of her being around. 

"That's true, it's probably a good thing she moved in with us too. I don't know how many families could have handled Star being around." 

"Their loss if they don't want a water slide or trampolines appearing in their homes." Mr. Diaz certainly knew how to look on the bright side. Every new experience was a chance to enjoy himself. "That being said Marco, you do remember that Star is an exchange student?" 

"Well... yeah, of course. What do you mean?" 

"I mean I'm happy you and Star get along so well. In fact you've been more outspoken and energetic ever since she came into our lives. It is a blessing in many ways for your mother and I. But I just want to be sure you are going to be okay when the time comes." Marco felt something hit his stomach like a rock when his father suggested that. 

"Oh. That. Well, you don't have to worry. It's not the first time, right?" He put on a brave face for his father but until today Marco hadn't given any thought to the fact that the day would come when Star would go home back to Mewni. Her time on Earth learning to use her magic would end and she'd be ready to take her place with her parents in the castle. The sound of metal crinkling could be heard as Marco squeezed his can of soda tighter than he'd intended.

"No, it's not. But Star is a special girl. I just want to be sure you'll be fine." 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm cool. You don't have to worry about that." Or rather Marco didn't want to think about that. They've talked about it in the past, long before Star had ever come to visit. How each visitor was a friend to welcome into their family and to care for until they had to leave again. Marco had become accustomed to travelers visiting and leaving his home but... Star was special. 

"Okay then." His father said, feeling relived they'd gotten through a conversation he'd been planning for a while. "Oh, Marco, you remember our talk about our guests, right?" 

Yeah, didn't we just go over it?" Marco asked raising an eyebrow. He thought they'd just come to the end of that conversation. 

"No no no, the other talk. About having girls stay as our guests." Oh. OH! That talk. Yeah, he remembered that talk. 

"Um... yeah?" Marco asked feeling a little nervous. Did his parents somehow know about what he and Star had been doing? It had only been a few times. Only twice was it at the house and even then his parents were only home for one of those instances. They hadn't even gone all the way but he knew that probably wouldn't have mattered to his father. "What about it?" 

"It's just that Star is a very pretty girl, and I wanted to be sure you were being a gentleman to her." Marco felt dread filling his stomach where the rock had hit just a moment ago.

"We're not going to have 'The Talk' are we?" 

"Do you need 'The Talk'?" 

"No." 

"Gracias a Dios." Mr. Diaz said with a sigh. "No we don't have to have 'The Talk' but I was a teenager once too you know, so I needed to be sure that you kids haven't been doing anything that King and Queen Butterfly would be upset about. After all they're trusting us with their only child. I know I would be concerned if you were staying with someone else." That made Marco feel nice to hear that from his father. He knew his parents loved him but they were never shy of reminding him of it. He often protested the show of affection but really he was grateful every time.

"Star's my best friend, dad. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her, ever." That much he meant, even if he and Star had done a few things by now that he was sure Star's mom would have freaked out about. Maybe not her dad, that guy was even crazier than Star.

"Okay. So does that mean you're still nodding at that girl Jackie?" Marco's dad asked teasingly. 

"Actually we've moved up to talking." 

"Oh!? Well don't go breaking any hearts now." Marco rolled his eyes and his father laughed, rising up from his sitting position. "I'm going to head inside, thank you for the help today." 

"No problem dad." Marco said in return as his father entered the house, leaving the boy with a cloud of thoughts filling his head. All of them around the two girls most prominent in his life and the one that was at risk of leaving it. They were the kind of thoughts he'd been avoiding for a while now. Each day he got closer to Star was another that he convinced himself the party would never end. 

Then there was Jackie, who thanks to Star's efforts was starting to notice him more. Marco found that holding conversations with her was becoming much easier despite himself. While she was still a knockout beauty Marco was beginning to notice that he didn't really care as much anymore what Jackie thought of him. She was nice and he was happy that they got to know each other better but in the long run it felt like all the anxiety he'd been building in the past was for nothing. He still didn't want to look stupid in front of Jackie but he wasn't breaking out in cold sweats like he used to at the sight of her. 

He drank a long gulp from his can, finishing it off and letting out a sigh. There was no point in focusing on all of this right now. Things would happen as they would happen and Marco would react accordingly with preparation and attention to detail. It's how he'd gotten through his whole life up until this point and the strategy had served him well. Sure he was regarded as an overly cautious nerd, the girl he liked was only just starting to realize he was alive and he was experiencing a personal crisis at the idea of losing his best friend but he could probably handle it as long as he didn't stop to think about any of it. Picking himself up off the front step Marco walked inside to where he'd spend the rest of the day until all the stars were visible from his home. 

**********

Later in the evening behind the Diaz residence in a clean and well maintained back yard, two teenagers were laid out in long, green lawn chairs that rested their entire bodies to make it easier to watch the night sky. Between them was a table with an open pizza box that Mrs. Diaz had brought them not long ago. By the time four slices were gone from the box Star had gone through her story of how she spent her day. Checking out the mall, being amazed by all the weird Earth stuff they had for sale and the delicious flavor of an elixir called the Orange Julius. Marco sat back for most of the conversation and just absorbed what she had to say, the princess very excited to inform him of things he'd already seen but with an air of discovery to them. It was funny and undeniably cute. 

"...and then we went into this place called Bed, Bath and Beyond where I got that lotion-y stuff that makes my hands all soft and smell like coconuts. I also got this pillow!" Star lifted up a pillow shaped like a heart with a smiley face on it that she'd been using to cushion her head. "I wasn't ever able to find the beyond area though, maybe that's where they keep the multi-dimensional stuff? Kind of dangerous for an Earth store section if you ask me." 

"I dunno, didn't Quest Buy have batteries powered by dark matter?" Marco countered through bites of pizza covered with a little bit of everything. "Well I'm glad you had fun. And not a single monster attack the whole day." 

"Pfft. Whatever, I could have handled it if there was one." Star said confidently while chowing down on her dinner. "Speaking of which the yard looks pretty good. I thought we tore this place up after Ludo snuck in here the last time." 

"Dad and I were back here most of this morning. And the front yard too." 

"Heh heh, doggy balancing on a ball." Star giggled in amusement, usually finding Mr. Diaz's work to be to her taste. "So what's this meteor shower thingy like? Do we need an umbrella?" 

"No no, it's nothing like that. We'll just see a bunch of tiny meteors pass through the sky as they enter Earth's atmosphere. They'll light up when they catch on fire and leave trails in the sky as they burn away." Star's eyes were wide with wonder at the description. 

"That sound so cool! I can't wait to see it. Do you guys have space rocks flying at your planet a lot?" 

"Oh heck no. That would cause chaos all over the world if we did." Marco made a mental note to show Star some of the meteor disaster movies later. She'd probably find them fun. "But every so often one does land on Earth and we're able to recover it." 

"Oh wow! I'd love to get my hands on one. Do they ever have aliens inside them or evil magical beings from other planets?" 

"Nah, never anything like that. They're called meteors but most people call them shooting stars because of how they look when they fly towards Earth. If a meteor lands it's going to be pretty burned up by the time we find it." Marco could see the disappointment start to snuff out Star's excitement right on her face. He tried to spice things up to make it more interesting for her. "But sometimes stuff survives inside them. Mostly they're made up of rock and metal and stuff like that but every so often you see a weird one with crystal like stuff in the center." 

"Ooooh, crystals are pretty." That seemed to bring her spirits back up a little. 

"Yeah, I guess they're not too uncommon from what's on Earth already. Some people think a lot of the metals and crystals and things we have here originally came from stuff like shooting stars hitting the planet forever ago. There's always the hope that one day we'll see one that's going to have something special inside it that we've never seen before." Star thought about that for a little bit in quiet after Marco had finished with his brief science lesson. 

"So... they're usually a lot like every other rock on Earth on the outside. But they have the potential to have something special inside that no one's ever seen before?"

"I guess that's one way of thinking about it, yeah. Makes them pretty interesting still, cause who knows what could be inside until you look." Star nodded thoughtfully about that. "I would have thought it would be the same on Mewni." 

"Well, I guess so." 

"You... guess so?" Marco was a tad lost as to how she couldn't be sure. 

"We do have magic stars, but they're not the same as your shooting stars. They're kind of these pokey things." Star tried to use her hands to motion a design with her fingers of something in a round shape with many spikes coming off of it. "They glow and are made of a material we use to keep magically powered devices running in the kingdom. Sometimes they're pink or red or yellow. Sometimes white. Their designs can be varied too, most aren't alike and have some difference from one or the other." 

"Wow, these things sound awesome. Way better than the space junk that tends to land on our planet." Despite Marco's amazement at what Star described she still didn't seem that interested herself. 

"They're useful but really no one cares what they look like. Magic stars hit the ground the same time every month in the same place every month. We send people out there to gather them up and bring them back to the castle where they get used for all sorts of things. No one really cares what they look like since their sharp edges make them too dangerous to use until they're broken up or ground down into something we can make. Just rinse and repeat." Marco sat there quietly, letting her explanation sink in. What he thought of as amazing Star considered routine. Maybe Earth really wasn't that different, I mean how many things had humans trivialized up until this point? Amazing and remarkable things that get consumed for a resource. There was whole forests full of amazing plants and wild life that just get chopped down every day. 

The two teens sat staring up at the sky for a while, both calmed down after learning the facts about their two unique worlds. The pizza box was empty at this point and all that was left was to wait for the show to start. Marco didn't mind though, it was a nice night and the weather was comfortable. Laying outside like this after eating was enough to make him want to fall asleep. Star however brought him back to reality when she spoke up. "What was bugging you when I came home?" 

"What? Nothing was bugging me." 

"C'mon now Marco, I could see it on your face. You were thinking about something that was bothering you and you seemed sad about it. What was it?" Was he that easy to read? Marco thought he was better about keeping stuff to himself than that. Or perhaps Star was just that good at seeing what was going on with him when she wanted to. 

"It's, y'know, nothing at all. Just stuff, you don't gotta worry." He put on a smile and flashed it across to her but the Mewni princess wasn't at all satisfied. 

"Fine, if that's how it's going to be." Reaching down next to her lawn chair Star pulled her wand out of her purse and Marco felt his whole body clench up. Who knew what she'd do when she reached for that in reaction to a problem. His fears were alleviated however when the wand glowed with magic and the table between them was lifted into the air and set on the opposite side of where Star was sitting. Soon after their lawn chairs were pulled together side by side and Marco found himself squeezed into a powerful hug. "There, you're hugged. No escaping me. Now spill it!" Marco wanted to argue but she was making him smile too much to resist. Besides, this was really comfy. Slipping his arm around her too they hugged each other as he prepared to let his concerns loose from where he'd buried them. 

"I guess today I was just thinking about... the future?" Star was watching him intently now as he explained himself, Marco feeling like he was doing a poor job of it right out the gate. "Like, I don't know. I guess I never really think too much about what's going to happen ahead of time but today I was." 

"Never think of... Marco you plan more than anyone I've ever met. You have an entire routine designed for getting dressed, eating breakfast and arriving at school at a certain place and time." Okay, that might have been true, but she didn't have to describe it like he was some kind of weirdo. 

"I like to be fashionable and on time, thank you very much." Marco corrected her and Star giggled seeing she'd hit a nerve with him. "But I guess today it was different than that. I was thinking of like... months or even years into the future. You know as in what I'll be doing or how things will change." This part was harder to say than he expected it to be but she'd asked him and he wanted to let it out to someone. "Or when you'll... you know, have to go back. Cause maybe I'm just not sure what I'm going to do without my best friend around anymore and that worries me because now that I've met her I don't ever want her to leave and I know that's selfish but it's what I keep thinking and I just want to-" Marco felt a finger move over his lips to quiet him and he managed to hold in the emotional torrent that was trying to escape from him.

"Marco, I'm here right now, okay?"

"I know, but-" 

"I'm here right now. You don't have to worry about that. You'll always be my bestie." Marco swallowed a lump in his throat and let his body relax some more, Star still nestled up beside him. Marco laughed a little to himself. 

"Sorry about that. I must have been acting really stupid if you had to get me to calm down, huh? Just blurting out everything." 

"I don't think so." Star said sounding more serious than Marco was accustomed to from the princess. "I just don't want you to worry about stuff like that. You should have fun in the moment like you always do. I like that about you, you're always taking care of what's around you." 

"Well it's my job, I have to take care of who's around me. Because the person that is always around me manages to find something enjoyable about what's always around her. It makes life fun." He felt Star give him a little squeeze. "Without that special person to look out for I'm just a worrier and a 'Safe Kid' anyway."

"Whaaaat? Excuse me but not true at all. You're a monster punching bad boy." Star corrected with a little bit of sass in her voice. 

"I'm only that way because I have you around to punch monsters with. Till then I was just another kid going to karate classes in a strip mall. Big whoop, just like everyone else." 

"Well maybe on the outside you looked like everyone else, but I don't think so." Star lifted her arm that was hugging around Marco's chest and poked him over the heart. "Because I know there's something special inside, no matter what it looks like on the outside." Marco's cheeks reddened a little when she touched him so gently, not used to receiving such direct compliments from a girl. 

"But how can you be sure?" 

"Women's intuition. Don't you know anything about girls?" Star said and put her arm around Marco again, looking up at the sky for the awaited meteor shower to begin. Marco let out a breath when she hugged him tightly. You wouldn't be able to tell by her appearance but Star was even stronger than himself. He wasn't sure if it was because she was from Mewni or if maybe she was just naturally this tough.

"Well, I probably don't know much about girls. But I do know you're the coolest one I've ever met. Coolest princess too." 

"What about Pony Head?" Star asked and Marco audibly grumbled remembering the magical unicorn creature with the annoying voice and sassy attitude. 

"She's the second coolest, I guess. Beats that monster princess that tried to steal your face at least." True he hadn't met many princesses in his life time but that second ranking was being held by a thread. "Say Star, do you ever think about the future too? Like when you'll be queen?" 

"Every. Single. Day." Star said with severity in her voice. It wasn't the seriousness that caught Marco off guard but instead her tone. As if she were someone facing a prison sentence. 

"R-really?" 

"Every day." Star repeated. "Always in the back of my mind." 

"I didn't think that... it was on your mind so much." Star suddenly turned her head away from the night sky and instead down on top of Marco's chest. Laying her face sideways to look away from him. Marco wasn't sure what to do but he wanted to make her feel comforted and placed his hand on her back to hold her against him. She didn't shy away, instead just holding position there.

"My mother won't let me forget it. That one day I'll stop being Princess Butterfly and then I'll be Queen Butterfly, with all the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom and using my magic for good and preserving the royal line by having my own Princess Butterfly one day to pass my wand onto. That it's my inevitable fate." 

"W-Whoa." 

"Yeah. Whoa." Star repeated back to him.

"Okay. Wow. Um..." Marco thought for a moment, not realizing just how big Star's emotional baggage might be. Here he was worrying over a future without her in it and she was agonizing over a future where her life was already decided for her. "But it's not so bad right? Being a princess? You get to do and see all sorts of things that no one will ever get to." 

"No, it's not bad." Star said sounding just as serious as before. "But I'm on a time limit, you know? A time limit to be Star." 

"You'll always be Star." Marco said, now stroking her hair in his hand softly. 

"One day I'll be Queen Butterfly and that's all that will matter. Just another princess meant to become the queen. It didn't matter who I was before or who I am at the time. It doesn't even matter how special or powerful I am as the queen. All that matters is that I take the throne and get married and then pass the wand onto the next Princess Butterfly and keep the chain going. Everything else, pointless." Marco just listened as she let him understand the outlook the princess harbored every day. That each moment was ticking down to when her freedom wold be taken away. Her individuality, as far as she was concerned. He couldn't stand the thought of that, but telling her that fate could be altered wasn't true either. 

"But, like... even when you're queen you can still do things you like, right? I mean your dad still hunts monsters and acts all silly and crazy at his age. Aren't there any good things to look forward to?" Star didn't respond and Marco felt he had to say something. Not just something, the right thing. She needed him to be on point for this one. "Maybe the future king will be a cool guy when you meet him? Someone who won't mind you having fun and take care of things for you." 

"Maybe." Star finally muttered. "I hope so. Someone I can trust, who will let me still be me and join me in having fun. Who can help me run a kingdom when I mess it up." 

"You won't mess it up." 

"Marco, I'm gonna mess it up." 

"Yeah, probably." Marco admitted, knowing Star all too well.

"So they have to be able to help me when I mess things up. Someone like that." 

"Someone like Oskar?" Marco asked, knowing Star had been hoping to get a peek at her crush today when she had gone out. To his surprise though Star laughed at the suggestion. 

"Pfft. No! Of course not, Oskar isn't king material. Silly." Star said matter-of-factually and it threw Marco right off. 

"Wait... so he's not someone that could make it as king?" 

"I'm pretty sure he lives in that car he's always on." Star admitted. 

"So then... why do you like him so much if he's not the kind of person who has what it takes?" 

"Just because I want to date him doesn't mean I want to marry him." Star explained. "He's cute and cool and plays awesome music, I want to get all over that! But he's hardly marriage material." Marco was left completely lost by this and she must have sensed it because the princess carried on. "I'm not looking to get into a relationship right now with the kind of guy I'd want to marry. I just want to have fun while I can. Before that kind of stuff happens. I want to go out and see things and do things and date people and just party! Before I have to grow up." Star lifted her head and body up from Marco's chest now to look at him from her side of the chairs. "And I want the man I marry to have all those experiences too. So none of us ever miss anything we want to do before it's too late. No regrets." He was looking at her eyes now, deeper than he'd originally viewed them. Just as she was much deeper than he'd expected her to be. "Do you understand?" 

"Yeah... yeah I think I do." No, he didn't. Not completely anyway. But when she looked at him like that, after revealing everything she feared and wanted of the future, he felt less afraid of his own now. He wasn't sure why, they hadn't addressed anything he'd confessed to fearing before. But still his heart was calm. Behind her light shined in the sky and Marco realized their show had started. "Oh, Star! Look!" 

"Yay!" The princess fell back against Marco on the lawn chairs and looked up into the night sky. Curled up together the two teens watched as the Earth provided them with a special show through the evening. Star enjoyed every moment of it and Marco had to admit it was a lot prettier than he'd been expecting. Once it was over they continued to lay together, talking about how nice it had been and how happy they were at getting a chance to enjoy it and after that just random things about what they planned to do later that week. Any conversation at all to act as an excuse to stay outside longer. When the suggestion to go inside was brought up the idea was pushed aside enough times that before long Star had fallen asleep on Marco's shoulder. Readjusting her pillow under her head Marco laid back and closed his eyes as well. Something special had been shown to him tonight and he was exhausted having taken it all in. The meteor shower had been nice too.

**********

Well into the night Marco and Star slept peacefully on their outdoor furniture, now covered by a blanket on their slumbering forms to keep them warm through the night. Mrs. Diaz had successfully removed their evening meal without detection and provided them with their cover as they slept. Even slipping it under their arms and on their bodies with a mother's care and not alerting either teen that anyone was there. She raised her phone and steadied her hand, smiling wide as she took pictures of the two of them curled up together. Once she was sure they were okay and nothing was out of place or in the open Mrs. Diaz returned to the house and went inside, quietly closing the sliding patio door behind her. 

The house was dark save for the light upstairs coming from her bedroom. When she arrived Mr. Diaz was reading a book in bed and awaiting her return. When his wife entered the room he placed it down on the night stand and saw the big smile on her face. "The kids are finally asleep?" 

"Yes, and it's the most adorable thing. Look at this." Closing the door behind her Mrs. Diaz sat on the bed and shared the pictures she'd taken with her husband. Mr. Diaz looked on amused at the multiple angles she'd captured of the pair sleeping together on the lawn chairs.

"Marco's going to be embarrassed when he sees these later." 

"I know, it's so cute." Mrs. Diaz said with great joy in her voice. "Isn't it great how close they are? I'm so happy Star came to live with us, she's been such a good influence on Marco." Raising from her seat on the bed she set her phone down and walked to the master bathroom to get ready for the night, changing into her nightgown with the door open. "I hope Marco will be okay when she has to go home."

"I think he'll be fine. We had a talk about that earlier today." 

"Oh? He didn't seem upset?" 

"I think he was but I also think he's a strong boy. If we're lucky we can keep them in touch after she moves back in with her parents. King Butterfly is practically a friend of the family by now." 

"Speaking of family, don't you think they'd make a cute couple?" Mrs. Diaz suggested, coming back to bed now that she was changed. "They're such a natural fit together." 

"Hm, I don't know. Marco's still attached to that girl at school. Jenny or whatever her name was." 

"Jackie." Mrs. Diaz corrected, setting her phone on the charger and finishing up her nightly routine. "He's had a crush on that girl for forever, I don't think anything's ever going to happen there. It's not close like they are." 

"Speaking of close... they went to their rooms, correct?" Mr. Diaz asked with a small tone of concern to his voice but his wife dismissed it. 

"They don't have school tomorrow so I figured it would be fine to let them sleep outside. I'll check on them when I get up in the morning." 

"It's not that, it's just I'm not sure we should leave Marco alone with Star like that." 

"Oh honey, come now. They're just kids. I trust Marco." 

"Maybe, but I remember what I was like at fourteen." Mrs. Diaz stopped for a moment, recalling herself how she and other girls behaved at that age. "And Star is a very pretty young lady, who is with him without supervision." 

"... maybe I should wake them up." Mrs. Diaz said sounding more concerned now. 

"Then again..." Mr. Diaz countered, sliding up closer to his wife. "If the kids are sleeping outside tonight they can't hear what's going on inside." 

"Oh, you devil you." Mrs. Diaz countered and playfully swatted at him. "Suggesting such a thing this late at night." 

"Is that a no, my spicy habanero?" 

"Now now, don't get too out of hand." Mrs. Diaz countered and slid away from him with a sultry smile. "I'll lock the bedroom door just in case they wake up."

**********

Thankfully for Marco and Star they didn't get up from their chairs that night to head inside and hear familiar yet unwanted noises within. However their own night wasn't without event. As the two slumbered together, nestled side by side, another visitor crept upon them in the dark. This one more sinister in intent from Mrs. Diaz and far from alone. The small monster leader Ludo was informed of his target's vulnerability by his spy, being left out in the open as she was he decided now was a good time to seize the opportunity. Quietly he and his gang stepped out of the portal that had appeared in Marco's back yard and tip toed towards the slumbering teens. His eyes fixated on the magical wand held firmly in Star Butterfly's grip, her arm resting on top of Marco who was passed out on his back. 

Creeping carefully through the grass, Ludo reached out his hand to try and slip the wand away from Star's grip. His fingers were ever so close, once he'd hooked it into his hands the magical weapon would be his at last. 

"Ludo." 

The small monster stopped cold, as did the rest of his entourage as they looked on. Star spoke clearly and deliberately, though she did not move a muscle. Still and quiet right beside Marco, seemingly asleep up until she had spoken. Ludo had frozen in place when she'd uttered his name but after a few moments he reached out again to grasp her wand. 

"Ludo." Again Star spoke and froze him in place, Ludo deciding to respond finally. 

"Yes?" 

"Do you see that I'm sleeping?" Star asked, not sounding the least bit tired as she spoke. "Can you see that I'm relaxed?" 

"Er... yes."

"Good. That's good. Because I've had a veeeery busy day today and I've had a veeeery emotional night." 

"Um... I'm sorry?" Ludo responded, not used to having this direct of conversation with his nemesis. 

"Not yet you aren't." Star answered back coldly. "Right now I am relaxed, I'm comfortable and I'm happy. Can you see how happy and comfortable I am, Ludo? Can you see that right now this is important to me?" 

"I... guess so?" 

"Good. Because if you don't appreciate how important this moment is to me right now Ludo, I'm going to have to do something about it."

"Do something about it?" Ludo asked hesitantly.

"Do something about it." Star confirmed.

"Like, what woul-"

"I learned a new spell Ludo. Do you know what it's called? It's called Ruby Red Rash Rayblast."

"Ruby Red Rash Ra-"

"Ruby Red Rash Rayblast. Do you know why it's called Ruby Red Rash Rayblast?" Ludo's mouth opened to reply but he wasn't given the chance. "It's called Ruby Red Rash Rayblast because it's a rayblast that makes ruby red rashes. They're awful Ludo. Really awful, as in I wasn't going to ever use this spell awful." Ludo's henchmen had at this point started to back away, having been hit by Star's spells many times in the past and not wanting to feel the brunt of one even she was scared to try. "I'll use this spell Ludo. I'll use it right now. I don't even care how bad those rashes will be. Try me." 

Ludo stood there now, tapping his clawed fingers together and weighing his options. The little monster looked back to his cohorts who were all shaking their heads violently against making a move and trying not to retreat too loudly should that bring Star's wrath upon them. He looked back at the portal his men were slowly running for and to the object of his desire before him. Making a tactical decision he went with what his gut told him was the right idea, and reached out for the wand. 

The resulting explosion of magic would be remembered by the monsters for weeks after in the form of thick red spots on their skin and terrible itching.

When the flash of light shined out on the Diaz property Marco stirred from his slumber and opened his eyes slightly, looking upward. "Mm... Star?" 

"Yeah?" The princess asked, dropping back into position next to Marco. 

"Did something happen? I thought I saw a light." 

"Nope, nothing at all." She said with a big smile on her face. 

"Oh, okay." Marco let out a long yawn, rolling onto his side and facing Star as they got comfortable under the blanket. "Should we go inside." 

"Nah." Star responded and Marco agreed, already falling back asleep. 

"Goodnight Star." 

"Goodnight my king." Star said happily and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

"Hm?" 

"I said goodnight Marco."

"Oh, okay. Sweet dreams." Marco said as he fell asleep with a big smile on his face. The next morning he would wake up feeling very happy but not certain as to the reason why, his dreams having mostly been filled with what sounded like the noises of monsters groaning in pain and agony. Still despite the heavy yard work, emotional outpouring and embarrassing pictures his mother shared the next morning, Marco would go on to remember this as one of the happiest nights of his life.


	6. Hourglass

Life isn't easy for a princess. Sure there's the personal servants, the beautiful clothing and delicious food that comes with the station of royalty a princess fills. However there was also the demand for perfection, to be on point for every occasion and the crushing need to conform for your crown and country. There was no place for a princess to express her individuality or creativity. No place for her to pursue her wildest dreams or feel the taste of true freedom and adventure. For any princess caught doing such would be labeled "wayward" and treated as a blight upon their royal name. It was before thought that a princess of such a nature was uncontrollable and had to be suffered through years of growing pains and dedicated parenting. Until someone provided an alternative. 

St. Olga's School for Wayward Princesses doors were opened in response to all the young ladies who wished to express their independence. It was presented as a place for parents to leave their children so that they may skip all that hard work of grooming a rebel into a proper heir and instead focus on running their kingdom. Every king and queen considered it a miracle in education, while every princess knew better. "Saint O's" was quickly rumored to be a place of pure terror for any young woman that wished to keep her own identity. Less a school and more an institution of brainwashing. Where you went in a person and came out a perfect doll to be placed on a throne. A "Princess Jail". 

Naturally the worst of the worst princesses were the first to end up in such a place. Girls that had more in common with violence and thievery than manners and education. To this day Saint O's was the first solution to the most problematic of princesses. And like any good jail there were girls that ruled over others before they were considered reformed enough to be placed back among society. 

One such barbaric young lady was sitting on her bed, chewing on the end of a candy cane and glaring at her cell door. She knew there was fresh meat coming in today and was ready for a new cell mate. A girl she could boss around and make into her little handmaid. Saint O's tried to beat you down and the only outlet for such stress was to beat someone else into submission. She couldn't wait to take the scared little princess under her heel and user her how she saw fit. When the door opened she sat up and gave her new cell mate a good once over; a pretty pink dress, long brown hair tied in a pony tail and a cute face to boot. The kind of girl that enjoyed beautiful things but liked to have it all her own way. Spoiled brats were the most fun to bully. 

"So, you're the newbie are ya?" The wild princess said, biting through the hard candy that had been in her mouth and eating it up. "Welcome to your worst nightmare, goody-two-shoes. You're in my world now and everything I say goes." She walked up to the princess in pink and got eye to eye with her. "You following me, Pinky?" 

"Star, I feel ridiculous." The princess in pink sighed. 

"Marco, you said you'd play along with me!" The once wild princess whined in the most girly of fashions. Marco rubbed his eyes and let out a deeper sigh. It hadn't been that long ago that he and Star had invaded the real St. Olga's School for Wayward Princesses to rescue their friend (well, Star's friend anyway) Princess Ponyhead from the actual brainwashing practices of the facility. To infiltrate the building Star had used her magic to craft two disguises for them. Her own was a black, lacy bodice with matching gloves and a green poofy skirt held up by suspenders. She'd accessorized it with grey striped tights, spiky boots, a demon horned headband and a black eye-patch to pull it all together. Marco's costume was considerably more simple and princess like; a pink poofy dress with his hair extended into a pony tail. Truth be told it looked really cute on him, despite his complaints while wearing it. 

"I never should have let you watch those prison break movies with me." Marco groaned, giving into her request. "Fiiiiiine. Let's do this thing. But I don't want to be in this outfit for too long. It's soft but kind of stuffy." After their dramatic jail break at Saint O's Star had requested they have a little fun in their costumes before she used her magic to remove them. Even if Marco seemed reluctant to play along he was still giving into Star's request for her sake. He really was her best-est friend ever. When he agreed again to play along with her Star giggled happily and smiled wide. 

"How about this then, we'll put it on a time limit. That way we can play for a bit but we don't have to keep doing it all day. Would that be alright?" Marco thought it over before finally nodding in agreement.

"Okay, just don't make it too long." He replied.

"You'll have so much fun you won't even believe the time has passed." Star said confidently and went over to her desk, grabbing a small hourglass and placing it on the night stand by her bed. "Great! Now that that's out of the way I have to get back into character." Marco rolled his eyes but waited as Star turned around and adjusted her expression. Turning back she had on an arrogant grin and looked him over once more. "Hope you don't mind getting cozy, cause we'll be sharing this cell for a while."

"Yeah, really looks like it's gonna be cramped." Marco said sarcastically, looking around the spacious area that was Star's bedroom. "So what do I call you? Princess Horn Head?" 

"That would be insulting to the real Princess Horn Head, don't you think?" Star thought a moment. "You can call me... Princess Badnikki!" She felt pretty proud of herself for coming up with that name on the spot. Had the right amount of naughty mixed with girly. Marco however was covering his mouth and stifling a laugh before it came out to break the mood. 

"Princess... Badnikki?" 

"Got a problem with it, toots!?" Star asked, poking his chest with her finger and Marco managing to keep from laughing but not from smiling. 

"No... no no. It's all good... I mean bad... nikki." Star was glaring at him and Marco realized it wasn't an act so he straightened up. "So uh, what are you in for, Princess Badnikki?"

"I kidnapped a prince and locked him in a tower with a dragon guarding it." Star said with an almost-but-not-quite evil grin. "Then I ransomed his family for enough gold to start my own underground soda bar."

"Wow, you do sound like the baddest of the bad." Marco said, finding some real amusement in Star trying to act like a villain. 

"What about you, Pinky? What are you in for?" Marco stopped and tried to ponder a fitting character background while Star waited to see what he could come up with.

"Me, I uh... ran a gang of monsters? Yeah, I ran a gang of monsters! And we uh... robbed other princesses of their treasure! Then I kept it all for myself." Marco said, proud of his last minute improvisation skills. 

"Oh, really? A pink powder puff like you lead a gang of monsters?" Star said trying to keep her bad girl persona going despite wanting to laugh in amusement over his story. "And how'd you get them all to follow your lead? Did you karate kick them into obedience?" 

"Nope." Marco replied and struck a pose. "I just used my girlish charms to woo them into taking my orders." He then winked and blew a kiss Star's way, the princess feeling a hard thump in her chest when he made the motion towards her. Honestly he was doing that way too well for someone insisting to not look as cute as he did. 

"Uh... y-yeah. Those princess charms, they'll get people to do anything for you." Star gulped and tried to get her composure back, feeling silly that he'd caught her off guard like that. 

"Exactly, so you don't mind me taking the comfy bed as long as we're in a jail cell together, right?" Marco said and sashayed his way right past Star, sitting on her bed and claiming it for himself.

"Hey! Marco, I was supposed to be the domineering bad girl and you were supposed to be my lackey." Star complained, breaking character for a moment. Though it didn't seem to bother him as Marco picked up the hourglass which while was never specified how much time was set for them to play was far from running out. 

"I'm sorry dear, but I don't know who this 'Marco' person is. Last I checked while this was running I was Princess Pinky and you were Princess Badnikki, right?" Star pouted and crossed her arms, annoyed that Marco had turned her game to tease him right around on her. "Now why not ask the guards to bring us some tea and snacks, I'm positively famished." He was falling into this roll well so Star decided to up her game to match him. Marching over to her bed she leaned forward to get eye to eye with him. 

"Alright Pinky, we'll play it your way. So this is how it's gonna be; I'm the boss and you'll do whatever I say. Got it?" In reality if Star had really wanted she probably could beat mark to a pulp, but even pretending to be mean to him was more difficult for her than she anticipated. Not that Marco was bothered, instead he turned his head away and mimed a dainty yawn at her threats.

"I'm starting to wonder if you're less of a misunderstood bad girl and more of a proper, safe lady." Marco said teasing her further and grinning wide, really enjoying being able to pull one over on Star like this. She wasn't about to give up though. 

"Alright then, if you need convincing then I can provide it to you, Pinky!" Star said through gritted teeth as she cracked her knuckles, not sure what she was planning to do but was determined to get him to cry uncle to her by the end of this. Grabbing the front of Marco's dress she pulled him forward only to have her path interrupted when he reached out and held the small hourglass in front of her. 

"Time!" Marco said smugly. "Timer ran out, looks like Princess Pinky and Princess Badnikki are gonna have to tussle another time. Well I'll just be changing into my-" Star snatched up the hourglass from Marco's hand before he could finish, flipping it over and sitting it on the night stand with an audible thunk as the wood collided. "Uh... S-Star?" 

"Name's Badnikki... and as far as I can see that hourglass is still running, isn't it?" She kept a tight hold of the front of his dress, Marco sweating now and nodding to her. "That's a good little Princess. You didn't want to get out of that pretty pink dress any time soon anyway, did you?" Marco shook his head. "You like princess outfits, don't you?" Marco glanced downward at his own, and then at Star's. In fact his gaze lingered on her own dress for a while. She noticed his eyes seemed fixated on the black, lacy bodice over her chest. The dress did accent her chest slightly, drawing one's eye to the small curves that just covered her breast. It was a little more daring than the kind of outfit she normally wore and seemed to hold his attention. "Seems you really like mine, don't you Pinky?"

"I... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stare!" Marco said realizing what he was doing and looked away suddenly. 

"What's the matter? You want a peek?" Star said, getting more into her tough girl character as she teased him. Reaching up with her right hand as her left kept a grip on Marco's dress, she pulled at the top of her bodice to almost reveal but not quite show off her chest underneath. 

"I wasn't... trying to look at... anything." Marco gulped and his face was blushing now, exactly the kind of position Star had hoped to put him in. She just hadn't expected him to actually stop her earlier with his own looks. 

"Oh I can tell what you're all about Pinky. You're the kind of princess that likes to pretend she's all proper and safe, but deep down you're really a misunderstood bad girl." 

"Yeah! I mean, no! Not like this, I mean..." Marco's head turned to see Star was still teasing him with pulling at the top of her dress and he turned his head away again. "This can't be what Princess Jail is actually like." 

"Oh no?" Star asked and stood up suddenly, using both hands to grab a hold of Marco now. Using her strength she tossed him onto his back on her bed and jumped over top of him, grinning devilishly appropriate for her attire. "You ever heard of girls hitting their Saint O?"

"I... uh... no?" Marco said nervously though it seemed like he had a good idea of what she meant. 

"Girls get bored when they're all alone and have nothing to do. So we gotta entertain ourselves somehow." Leaning down on her hands and knees, Star leaned in and pressed her body against Marco's, still smirking confidently. "So like a good cell mate, we help each other hit our 'Saint O'. Get it?" Star said with a wink. 

"Are you trying to wink at me? Because that doesn't work too well with an eye patch." Star suddenly realized her mistake, lifted her eye patch so she could wink at him anew, and replaced it over her eye. Marco rolled his eyes. "You gotta be kidding me." 

"There a problem with it?" Star asked and grabbed a hold of Marco's wrists, holding him down on the bed. He panicked for a moment and tried to lift his hands but she managed to over power him and keep him pinned. "It's every princess' initiation in here." 

"But we're both girls, that's forbidden love!" Marco exclaimed in a panic, then thought it through for a moment. "No wait... no yeah, yeah! That's right."

"Silly girl, we're wayward girls. Forbidden is what it's all about." Keeping him held down Star leaned in and kissed Marco on the lips, freezing him in place before causing his body to relax and kiss her in return. His arms stopped trying to fight back against her grip and he began to accept her over him. It lingered for what felt like a long time before Star pulled her lips back with a seductive smile. "Do you have a problem with it now?" 

"No." Marco whispered in return. 

"Well... too bad." Star said with a devilish smile and grabbed hold of the small hourglass. "Time's up! Guess our little game is over. I suppose we should change into our normal clothes and head on out of here to-" Marco's hand reached up and gently took the hourglass from her. Flipping it around he placed it back onto the night stand and looked up at Star. "That's my girl." 

"This is so embarrassing." Marco said in return, looking away. Star felt that thump against her chest again and leaned in to kiss Marco's neck, the boy tensing up under her. "S-Star!" 

"Wrong name." She whispered, keeping him held down and placing light kisses along his neck and up to his ear. Marco squirmed under her from the affection and she enjoyed it immensely. Something about role playing like this was really making her excited. 

"I feel silly saying the other one." Marco groaned through her kisses and Star moved her head around to catch his lips, giving him a more aggressive kiss than before. Their mouths opened and tongues slid against one another before she broke it again, keeping him held in her grip all the while. 

"Say the right name, Pinky. Or I'll just keep teasing." Marco looked up at her with frustration and Star smiled excitedly.

"Fine... Princess Badnikki." There was annoyance as he said her name but Star didn't mind. 

"Now, ask your highness for me to give you your first Saint O." Star said and released his wrists from her grip, slowly sliding off her suspender from her shoulders. Marco was watching her intently and swallowed a lump in his throat before speaking. 

"P-please give me... my first Saint O. Your highness." Marco covered his face with his hand and groaned. "I feel so dumb." 

"You're about to feel something." Star said confidently and got off of him and then bed. Turning around she backed up to him. "Undo my laces would you, Pinky?" It might of felt silly but being in character was really helping her along and Marco was becoming more accustomed to her as she pushed him into it. Once he had sat up and untied the lacing on her back, Star wiggled her hips and slide her dress down her legs and off of her body. Standing now in just her tights and her gloves Marco blushed as he was fixated on her exposed chest before him. "You look ready for some forbidden love, alright." Star said with a giggle. 

"I uh... I'm just... you look really good in that outfit." Marco admitted and Star held down a powerful "Awww!" that wanted to escape her right now. Instead she kept to her character, approaching him and placing her hands on his face to pull his gaze to hers.

"You might be surprised to hear this Pinky, but you do too." Star confessed in return and kissed his lips, enjoying the contact it provided them. When their lips parted again Marco spoke. 

"The... the hourglass." He mentioned, pointing to the small glass vial that the sands had already run through. Star reached out for the small time keeper and threw it across the room into a pile of stuffed animals she'd left on the floor. 

"Any complaints, Pinky?"

"Not a one, Princess Badnikki." Marco replied, fully committed to whatever she wanted now. 

"You'll be calling me your queen by the end of this." Star said with a wicked grin that looked as if it made Marco's chest flutter. She enjoyed having that kind of power over him for once. "Now I'm going to show you what's fun about big gowns like these." 

"What do you-" Star suddenly went onto her knees and flipped Marco's dress up where he sat at the edge of the bed. "Whoa! Hey wait a minute, isn't this-" He was stopped short again as he felt something being taken from him and Star tossed aside his boxers from out under his gown. "Aren't we moving kind of faaaaast!?" 

"Oh my, look at what you smuggled in, 'Princess'." Star said in amusement as her fingers gripped around Marco's hard cock. The fact he was in this state wasn't too surprising after all of the teasing she'd done to him. "With something like this you're bound to be the most popular girl here." 

"St-Star, wait, we've never done-"

"Wrong name, Pinky. Remember?" Her fingers and thumb ran along the length of his cock, making Marco groan in response. It was true she hadn't actually seen THIS much of him before but by now she felt comfortable enough with his body to let herself get close to him. Besides, this wasn't them doing this. It was the seductive Princess Badnikki and the perverted Princess Pinky. At least that made it okay in her mind. 

"Y-yeah, okay, I got it. Don't use the wrong names." 

"That's a good princess." Star said from under the skirt and stroked Marco's cock further. Her hand went up and down it slowly, feeling his skin and examining it from the dim light she had under the poofy dress. She hadn't known what to expect but it wasn't bad, just different from anything she'd seen before. "Does it... feel good?" She asked, a little unsure with it being her first time. 

"Yes! Uh, I mean... it's good. It is." She couldn't see him from her position but could tell from the sound of his voice and the slight twitching of his legs she must have been making him feel great.

"Okay. I'm gonna try something, alright?" 

"Y-yeah, whatever you want." Marco said a little breathlessly. Taking his permission Star leaned forward and ran her tongue along the length of Marco's cock. She heard him gasp and decided it must have been the right course of action. Moving her mouth up and down she licked along the length of him, letting her fingers follow after in a slow strokes. "Oh... It's... I feel like I'm going to soon." At first she didn't understand what he meant but it dawned on her that his shaking indicated she really was about to help him hit that Saint O she'd promised before. 

"Did you want me to go faster?" Star asked from under the fabric, gripping her fingers around his member firmly. She might have been inexperienced but this made the most sense compared to any other action she could do to get him there. 

"Uh huh! You can!" Marco responded eagerly and Star used the slickness she'd built up with her saliva to begin stroking him in a quick pumping motion. Marco began groaning a lot louder now and Star was getting excited seeing how much he reacted while in her grasp. 

"C'mon Pinky, don't let me down." Star said gleefully and Marco responded, hitting his climax in her hand. Star nearly jumped back in surprise but found she couldn't escape so easily while caught underneath his dress. Her face and chest were hit by a hot liquid that she'd coerced from his body. Pulling her head up out from under his gown Star noticed how much cooler the air was now and realized she'd gotten sweaty being so close to him. Marco's upper body was laying down now on her bed, panting hard and recovering from his orgasm. While he took a breather Star used her hands to feel the substance on her chest and face. Getting some on one finger she placed it in her mouth to taste. 

"Hmm... not the best, but not the worst thing I've tasted." Marco didn't even seem to notice her actions, amusing Star that she managed to rock his world that hard. Getting to her feet Star grabbed some tissues from her vanity and cleaned herself off. Once she was sure the substance was gone she went back to the bed and laid down next to Marco on her stomach, grinning at him wide. "So what'd you think, Pinky?" 

"That... that was amazing." Marco said through deep breaths. "I've never felt it that good before." Star smiled proudly to herself. 

"Looks like you passed your initiation. Welcome to Princess Jail." The actual princess giggled, happy to have made him feel happy too. After Marco caught his breath he looked over at Star and placed his hand out to her facing upward. She stared at it for a moment before moving her own hand over his, lacing their fingers together. She used her one exposed eye to look at their hands together, and then at Marco staring at her. It made her feel hot inside, and a different kind of warmth deep in her chest. Her hand gripped his and he gripped it in return. There was a fear if this went on much longer she wasn't going to be able to let him go from this room, let him go ever again. Her head was becoming overwhelmed with emotions and she recognized when it was starting to overtake her. "Marco, I-"

"Wrong name, Badnikki." Marco said with a smile. "Now it's your turn." 

"What? Wait, I was the one doing the initiation." 

"Not anymore. It would be rude to let my queen go without returning the favor." When she called him her queen Star felt the hearts on her cheeks glow in response. She looked away from him, how could he say that so easily to her?

"You big dummy, you can't just... call a princess your queen like that." 

"Why not? Your the one that said I'd be calling you that by the end of this." Oh drat! She did say that. But she'd meant that in character, not as in her being... someone's actual queen. 

"Well yeah but..." 

"Up with you." Marco said and pulled Star up from her laying position. She could have fought him off but there was something comforting about being lifted into his arms. Her body was making her go along with things that her head was telling her she should probably keep from going too far. Either that or she was making up excuses as to why she was letting herself get away with this. "Now lean back." After some work Marco positioned himself with his back against the headboard of her bed, Star leaning against his chest. With her bare back against the soft material and his arms around her it felt really nice. 

"I'm comfy." Star declared, settling against him. 

"I'll make you feel even better." Marco said with more confidence than she was prepared for. Maybe he was falling into his role as well. His hands slide around over her, stroking her neck and collar bone. Sliding along her skin and slipping down over her chest. Star reached behind herself and adjusted her long blonde hair so it wouldn't get caught where they sat, arching her back. If she was going to give into this then she might as well be comfortable for it.

"Just remember who's in charge... Pinky." It was harder using the character names but she had to. It was the only thing that made them going this far okay. 

"Whatever you say, my queen." She felt her heart beat increase when he called her that again.

"I'm not sure that was the best ahh!" Star tried to argue against him continuing to call her that but got distracted when his hands found their way to her breasts. His thumbs and fingers gently rubbed and lightly pulled at the nipples surrounded by the heart shaped areola on her Mewman skin. "N-not too hard!" Star said and found Marco's leg through his dress, squeezing his thigh with her fingers. 

"Does it hurt?" Marco asked concerned but Star shook her head. It didn't hurt at all but it was making her very excited. "Okay, I'm glad. Let me know if it does." His head leaned in now to kiss her neck and Star let out a moan in response, unable to speak clearly at the moment as her body was assaulted. As he played at her skin Marco's right hand began to dip further down past her breast, slipping over her thigh. She knew where it was headed and that maybe letting him get that far was a bad idea... but she really wanted to feel his touch. 

Spreading her legs apart, Marco's hand moved between her legs and pressed against Star's pussy through her tights. He moved slowly, his hand rubbing in small circles against her as she grit her teeth and closed her one exposed eye tightly. Her other hand that wasn't gripping Marco's leg moved up and gripped onto his hair. He winced a little in complaint but it didn't stop Marco from using his fingers to rub at her sensitive areas. After what felt like an eternity of teasing Marco's hand rose up and touched the waistband of her tights. "Is it okay?" Marco asked her quietly against her ear. 

"Yes." Star said without even thinking about it, wanting that touch so badly. Slipping his hand under the thin fabric Marco maneuvered past her panties and pressed his fingers against her now moist pussy. She gasped when she felt his fingers touch her private spot, never having had contact like this before outside of her own hand. "Oh! Oh wow." 

"I'm going to, okay?" Star nodded quickly and felt Marco rub against her vagina. Her hips lifted slightly off the bed to his hand, eager to get his attention. Using her left hand she let go of Marco's hair and lifted his left hand to her mouth. Star began to lick and suck at his fingers, just wanting something to let her mouth focus on while she was enjoying the moment. Thankfully Marco didn't fight her for it, letting her have his hand to suck at two of his fingers while his other hand probed her wet folds. Her legs twitched every time he touched at her entrance, making a small whimper around his fingers. After some exploring Marco's finger slipped upwards and rubbed against her clit, making Star moan loud around the fingers in her mouth. "There?" 

"Yes! There!" Star ordered, licking his hand and trying hard not to bite into him. Marco did as she instructed and began to rub her clit as his main focus now, his hand moving back and forth rapidly over her sensitive area. Star's legs tightened up and she groaned hard, gripping onto his wet left hand with hers now as she was being pushed harder. "M-Marco!" Star said loudly as she felt herself climax against his hand, her toes curling in her tights and her thighs closing tight around his hand. Even with her body clenching together from the climax Marco's hand continued to rub against her, letting her ride out her orgasm over his dedicated touch. After a while she grabbed his forearm and breathlessly managed to stop him. "Tha-that's good. That's good... you can stop." 

"O-okay." Marco said, pulling his hand hesitantly out from inside of Star's tights which were now stained with the efforts of their satisfying one another. Star was leaning against him now, panting hard as she caught her breath. It had felt every bit as good as she'd hoped it would. Possibly more. She took hold now of Marco's left arm, gripping it against her own chest and feeling Marco apply pressure to pull her into a hug. 

"Wow... good work Pinky." 

"Yeah, that was... really great." Marco said a little distracted, looking at his right hand that was covered in Star's fluids. Flipping up her eye patch and noticing what he was looking at she smirked to herself. 

"Wondering what I taste like?" Star asked and Marco blushed bright red. 

"I... I wouldn't... I mean..." 

"Here." Taking his right hand herself she directed it to his mouth and pressed his fingers to his lips. Marco took a moment to taste what was there before pulling his hand away from his mouth again. "Well?" 

"It was... not what I expected. But it wasn't bad." Star giggled. 

"So you're saying you'd want to taste it again?"

"Are you asking or Princess Badnikki?" 

"Depends on who's offering." Star responded, sitting up to turn and look Marco in the eyes. "We should probably get cleaned up though, huh?" 

"Yeah, I guess so." Marco and Star sat there for a moment, as if they were trying to decide what they should say to each other before trying to go about the rest of their day like this didn't happen. As if this really was something that was done by two other characters that weren't themselves. 

"I'm sorry I made you wear that dress so long." Star said, not really sure how else to address what she'd made him do. Though Marco wasn't too upset about it.

"Honestly I'm starting to get used to it. It has its advantages, as one princess showed me." Marco slowly got up off the bed, wiping his mouth clean of anything that had been left behind from the kissing and exchanging of other things. "I better get to my room and change though." 

"Don't you want me to just magic your clothes back to normal?" Star asked, now laying on the bed and covering her chest with her bed sheets. Even if he'd seen her naked before she still felt shy when exposed for too long. 

"I uh... think I'll just keep it. You know, as a reminder of our adventure." 

"Really?" Star asked, legitimately surprised. "Do you want me to keep mine too?" 

"Yeah! I mean... if you want to, sure. You do look really good in it." 

"Okay!" Star responded gleefully, happy as she'd grown fond of this outfit too. "I'll meet you down stairs in a little bit." 

"Sure thing. I'll see you soon, my queen." Marco said teasingly and waved to her, checking outside in the hallway to be sure his parents didn't come home suddenly. They were open minded people but Marco didn't want to have to explain this outfit to them if he didn't have to. Once he'd exited Star let out a sigh and pulled her pillow to her chest, hugging it as tight as she could with all her strength. 

"You can't just say that to a princess, Marco!" Star complained to no one in particular, her face pressed against the mattress as she spoke. Her body was satisfied and she felt good all over, but that warm tingling in her chest hadn't gone away. In fact his words before leaving seemed to make it grow even further. She ignored it for now though. She had to. It was the only way for them to keep having fun as best friends. But that didn't stop her from responding to no one in particular again. "I'll see you soon... my king."


	7. Horseshoes

As the son of two very active parents, Marco Diaz wasn't a stranger to outdoor activities. Not that he was much of an athlete or adventurer by his own choice when given the option. However adaptability was a skill he'd acquired a long time ago and going along with whatever whims his mother or father came up with was necessary for keeping himself sane. Due to this he'd taken part in several art and science related hobbies at their request. Painting and sculpting while fun at a young age didn't really hold his interest enough to pursue later in life. Studying wasn't difficult but things like engineering and carpentry didn't speak to him either. While aerobics and personal fitness wasn't that fun he did manage to channel that into a love of martial arts that had stayed with him all the way into high school. Though the one hobby his parents did pass to him that he really enjoyed (aside from cooking alongside his mother) was camping. 

The great outdoors offered both a wide breath of freedom to do whatever you want and the structure to do what had to be done to survive. It was a perfect mix of wilderness and order that Marco enjoyed getting to be a part of. Setting up camp, fishing, collecting and identifying nuts and berries, hiking and just plan goofing around in the woods. This was the kind of family event he looked forward to any time the whim hit his parents to take part in it. After so many years of enjoying the hobby he'd become something of an expert on the subject. An acquired knowledge he took pride in sharing with the various exchange students who made residence in the Diaz household over the years. However this camping trip was going to be quite a bit different. 

During the last great Diaz outing into nature Marco had the pleasure of sharing the experience with not only Star but her father as well, King Butterfly. While Marco was still the resident expert of exploring the woodlands of Earth he had to admit the sheer manliness Star's father put on display was something to behold. The old man was about as tough as anyone he'd ever seen (the only other person that had come close was Star herself) and was eager to grasp Earth's wilds in a bear hug. Or choke hold. It was kind of hard to tell if he wanted to kill or befriend every animal he came across. Regardless the little vacation for both families left Marco wondering what camping on Mewni was like. Once Star had heard he was interested she started putting a plan into motion to show him first hand. 

Warnicorn hunting is what she called it. While that sounded completely brutal to him at first it turned out to be far less dangerous than she had initially described. For the animal that is. Instead of hunting the Warnicorn with the intent to kill it Star was simply looking to track and ride one. She had informed him if they could find and gain the trust of a real wild Warnicorn then it may allow them to shoe it, which was considered something of an honor to do for a non-domesticated magical stallion or mare. Since there would be a lack of animal murder on their part Marco was excited to see what Star had in store for them. Also since this was Star they were talking about, he was talking every possible precaution necessary. 

Blankets, plastic bags, first aid kit, a small collapsible tent, miniature fishing set, rope, flash lights, matches, soap, tooth brushes and tooth paste, Swiss army knife, compass, bed rolls and one of those little mirrors that you use to reflect for help when you're lost in the woods trying to get a plane to notice you. His bag was filled to the actual brim and secured by every latch he could tighten. It was a heavy load but at the very least he knew that with this supply bag there wasn't anything that would be able to take them by surprise. Which made Star's reaction disheartening when she saw him come into her room with the heavy back pack over his shoulders. 

"What the heck is all of that?" The blonde princess asked in confusion, laying on her back while resting on her bed and reading one of the dozens of magazines she often purchased on impulse. 

"It's supplies for the camping trip. Don't you remember? We were going to head to Mewni today so you could show me how to catch a Warnicorn." Marco said, trying not to let Star's absent-mindedness deter his excitement for heading out on a fun adventure together. 

"Well yeah, I've been waiting for you this whole time." Star replied and flipped backwards off of her bed and onto her feet in an acrobatic roll. She tossed her magazine onto her bed and approached Marco to look over his bag. "Was this why you were in your room all this time?" 

"Sure is! I wanted to be positive that while we were out in the woods that nothing would catch us by surprise." The boy announced with pride but Star shook her head and put an arm around Marco's shoulders, the additional weight enough to make his legs shake from everything else he'd already been carrying. 

"Oh sweet, innocent Marco. You don't need all of this." Star said confidently and undid the straps on his bag, causing a cascade of camping supplies to spill out from behind Marco and leaving him to fall forward as his balance was thrown off with the weight relief on his back. "We're going Warnicorn hunting! That means we have to get back to nature and hunt like a Mewman! Besides I already got you everything you're going to need." Marco removed straps from his now emptied bag off his shoulders and rolled over onto his back. 

"What? A stick with a rock tied to the end of it?" Marco asked sarcastically, a little happy to not be stuck carrying all of those supplies today. Even if he thought leaving them behind was probably a recipe for disaster on their part.

"We're not savages Marco, geez. Now get into your loin cloth and get ready, we need to make up for lost time." Marco's face was covered by something that was soft and furry as he heard Star's foot steps walk away from him. "You can use the changing curtain, I'm heading upstairs." Star called out as she ascended the spiral stars leading to the upper floor of her bedroom tower. Marco sat up and pulled off the garment to look it over. The fur was a brownish red, probably from some kind of animal found on Mewni rather than on Earth.

"You gotta be kidding me." Marco grumbled and got onto his feet to head behind the changing curtain for an amount of privacy. The cloth itself seemed comfortable but it was kinda drafty as there wasn't much below to cover himself. Really it did only enough to hide anything naughty and he hoped the pelt it was made out of was heavy enough to protect him from strong gusts of wind. "Hey Star, I think you got the wrong size. My boxers are sticking out of the bottom of this thing." 

"You're not supposed to have underwear with it, silly." Star called back down to him. Marco poked his head out from behind the changing curtain to shout up the stairs at Star. 

"Are you serious with this? I feel like I'd be on display to the whole world here."

"It's tradition in Mewni to wear that while on a hunt. You've seen what daddy wore when he went camping." 

"Not a memory I was eager to reflect on." Marco muttered as he accepted his fate. It was true that King Butterfly had also been wearing something similar to this the two times Marco had seen Star's father in the wild. However he was a burly man who seemed at home running through the woods with nothing to protect himself other than his skin and muscles. Marco's own figure didn't quite make the cut as a wild woodsman. Relenting to Star's wishes Marco came out from behind the curtain wearing his loin cloth, some shoes that were little more than wooden sandals that Star had left for him and his red hoodie. "Okay, I think I've got everything on." 

"Oh oh oh, lemme see!" Star said excitedly and came back down the stairs, jumping half way and landing on the carpet gracefully. "Goodie, it fits you just right."

"Yeah... wow, so does yours." Marco blurted out in surprise at the outfit Star had assembled for herself. She was wearing a green colored fur of her own that was held together over her shoulder by sewn in strings, not unlike the strings holding tight around Marco's waist through his pelt. The outfit was similar to a single strap dress, one that covered about as much leg as Marco's own outfit. "I mean... it looks really cute?" 

"Doesn't it!? I wanted to be sure we got ones that we'd both be happy with. It even came with a matching purse!" Star said excitedly and showed off a green, furry purse that was strapped over her other shoulder and had a flap covering the opening. "Not only that, but I accessorized." Opening her purse Star reached in and put on a headband that had two deer antlers in place of where her devil horns would be on her normal head strap. "Although there is one thing wrong." 

"What's that?" Marco gulped as Star approached him and put her hands onto his chest. "Star?" 

"No hoodies!" Star said with a smile and unzipped his red hoodie, pulling it off his shoulders and tossing it aside. Without the additional clothing to cover himself it left Marco in nothing but the loin cloth and sandals. 

"Hold on now! How come you can add a purse and headband to your traditional Mewni outfit but I can't have a hoodie?"

"C'mon Marco, show off those muscles." Star said and giggled as she poked his chest and biceps, making the boy flail as he tried to defend himself from the ticklish touches. "We're going Warnicorn hunting! You need to keep yourself free of anything that might weigh you down. Besides I need my purse so we can carry these too." Star opened the flap again to reveal four horseshoes that sat at the bottom of the bag along side her wand and dimensional scissors. Marco was actually impressed at the craftsmanship of the bag to hold that much weight without breaking. Maybe this Mewni hunting attire stuff wasn't as silly as it felt.

"So all we have to do is find a Warnicorn and put horseshoes on it, huh?" 

"That's the plan!" Star said happily and pulled out her magical dimensional scissors. With a quick motion she cut a rip through the fabric of reality itself, the portal before them glowing with familiar magic. "On with the hunt!" Star shouted eagerly, leaping through the portal with a war cry to follow. Marco sighed and shrugged, he was already along for the ride and leaving Star to her own devices was rarely a good idea. 

After leaping through the portal after the princess, Marco found himself landing on thick green grass that greeted him with a soft cushion of earth. The portal snapped shut behind him as he turned to see large plains of green stretching out far around him. Near by was a dirt trail that followed along the outer rim of a thick forest who's canopy made it look dark and shaded in comparison to the brightly lit grass lands around them. "This is the place?" Marco asked curiously, not seeing any of the normal signs of Star's family kingdom. 

"Yep, these are the lands of the Johansen Kingdom. This is where my dad is from originally." 

"Huh, guess I never thought about there being different kingdoms on Mewni before. So you're like a mixed-kingdom kind of princess?" 

"I guess?" Star responded with confusion as she began to approach the dirt road by the forest. Marco followed along, knowing full well it wasn't a good idea to get lost in Mewni without a guide to get you back or scissors to escape to Earth. "I mean we're all Mewmans so it's not that different. Isn't your dad from a different kingdom than your mom?" 

"Different country, yeah. I guess it really isn't all that different." As their sandals left the soft grass and struck upon the dirt Star continued to lead the way. Marco could see in the opposite direction of their path there was a village of some sort. Signs of life could be seen with chimney smoke and movement in the distance but Star didn't pay it any mind. "Shouldn't we be going to town to get supplies?" 

"Nah, where we're going we'll have everything we need." 

"Wow, it sounds like you really have this all planned out. Did you come here a lot with your dad before?" 

"Oh no, I've never been here in my life." Marco felt a small sinking sensation in his stomach as she answered him. "In fact this is the first time I've ever gone traditional Warnicorn hunting. Usually I just caught and rode the ones around my castle when I was younger." 

"Wait a minute, you've never done this before!?" 

"Relax Marco, it can't be all that tough. We fight monsters and risk our lives on a regular basis, we can handle this." 

"You know, usually I do those things because I'm following you, just like I am right no-" Marco just shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway if you've never been here how do you know where to go?"

"Because my parents let it slip that they'd gone Warnicorn hunting together before at a very special spot." Star said as she looked at Marco with a wink. "Guess who took the time to figure out where it was and how to get there?"

"They were keeping it a secret from you? Why?" 

"I dunno, but that made me want to find out all that much more!" Honestly that was to be expected with Star. If you're going to try and keep her out of something she's going to want to get into it twice as hard. "Maybe they didn't think I was ready for the real thing. Mom sure as heck wouldn't want me to be out doing something so 'Johansen', even if she does love daddy. Then daddy himself wouldn't want me to do something that was dangerous even if I could handle it." 

"I don't think my parents are even aware we left the house." Marco thought out loud. 

"Good thing cause it worked in our favor." Star said as she turned to face Marco and swung her arms upwards. "We're here!" Marco looked up as she motioned to a building that was built with a fence attached to the sides that extended down the dirt road a ways, covering up the woods. The entire structure was made of wood itself and it served to keep anyone from getting into the grounds from anywhere but the front door of the building. It reminded Marco of an old American frontier fort used to defend the cavalry back during the days of the old west. Aside from the sign that hung above the door advertising the name of the location. 

"Horny Meadows?" Marco asked out loud, very taken aback by the name. "What... what the heck is this place?"

"This is the camp ground where they hold the Warnicorn hunting." Star answered confidently. Marco looked at the sign and back to Star a few times to confirm that yes she was indeed serious at this. 

"Um, okay. Sure. But you know... that name?" 

"What about it?" Star asked sounding confused. 

"Isn't it a little suggestive?" 

"It's a meadow where we hunt horned horses, Marco. Try to keep pace with me here." After debating in his head a few times over why they'd name it something like Horny Meadows, Marco just decided that Mewmans must not have that kind of slang word in their vocabulary and it was better to give up on arguing.

"Alright yeah, let's just get this started." 

"That's the spirit!" Star said proudly and walked in the front door with Marco following after. The inside of the building was lit almost entirely with lamps that were fixed to the walls as the building itself didn't have any windows. As they proceeded in Marco noted all of the materials on shelves and on the walls. It was hard to make out as the lamps lighting was a little low but there appeared to be a lot of equipment for riding and what must have been for taming the Warnicorns. As they proceeded forward a woman behind a counter in the back looked up to notice the pair entering with a surprised expression. 

"Can I help you two?" She asked cautiously, eyeing Marco and Star over. The woman was wearing a dark colored pelt of her own that covered her about as much as Star's outfit, which wasn't a whole lot. She had wild bushy hair and was quite a fair faced lady. Still muscular and tall like the majority of the Johansens that Marco had seen during the Flag Day event Star's parents held but a lot more clean and put together than King River's immediate family had been.

"You sure can." Star said confidently as she approached the counter and made eye contact with the woman. "We're here to do a little Warnicorn hunting." The princess was standing strong with a proud smile but it only earned her more bewildered looks from the woman who was glancing between Star and Marco. 

"You two want to come here to do some 'Warnicorn hunting'?" She asked in disbelief. "Just how old are you two anyway?" 

"Age is just a number." Star said as she leaned in on the counter to talk with the proprietor more casually. "Believe me anything you've got in there, we can handle. Matter of fact we've probably done more already." 

"You're joking." The woman said sounding more shocked than ever. "Do your parents know you're here?" 

"What they don't know won't hurt 'em. Me and my partner here have been going out on adventures like these together for a while." Star said as she motioned to Marco behind her. Put on the spot the only thing Marco could think to do was wave meekly at the woman.

"You and this guy here are together?" The woman asked even more surprised than before, making Marco feel a little self conscious about his figure all of a sudden. It didn't deter Star in the least however.

"Couldn't ask for a better person at my side. He's a little new at this but he learns fast and I'll be here to show him the ropes."

"So you've done this before?" The woman asked seeming a little more at ease with Star's demeanor. "You look like a pretty good girl to be getting into that kind of trouble." 

"Believe me, I'm always looking for trouble to get into. As for this, I practiced around my home a lot before coming here. Want to give it a shot at the pro level." The woman was looking them over more and more now as a grin grew on her face and she shrugged. 

"Well... you two do make a cute couple. Alright, it's been a slow day so you have the whole place to yourselves. I'll let you in." 

"Yes!" Star said with a little hop of joy before catching herself and returning to her confident pose from before. "I mean, thanks a million. We can't wait to get in there." 

"I'll bet with that kind of energy you've got." She agreed with a knowing smile. "Will you be paying in pelts, jewels or gold? We don't take meat anymore, spoils too fast."

"Oh. Oh... right, right. Payment. I just gotta... um..." Star mumbled wide eyed as she looked inside her purse only finding her scissors, wand and horse shoes she'd brought. Dread crept over her as she realized she hadn't brought any money at all with her until Marco approached the counter.

"Will this cover it?" Marco asked and slapped down a pile of bills on the counter. The women looked on in amazement as the the proprietor began to flip through the stack. "Oh and I'd like to get this too if I can?" Marco said as he put a rope on the counter, having picked it out after Star had made the comment of showing him the ropes. Once the woman was done checking the money against her currency exchange rate it funny enough turned out to be an acceptable payment amount. Before long the duo was given a key to their specific camping lodge and were let out into the grounds under the canopy of trees, Marco's newly acquired rope coiled over his shoulder. As they walked Star tapped Marco's side. 

"Hey, where were you even keeping all that money?" 

"In the band of my loin cloth. Kinda figured we'd end up needing it at some point and I wanted to be prepared." Star looked impressed by Marco's foresight. This wasn't the first time he'd popped in to provide a save for her at the last minute but she was certain she'd robbed him of anything in terms of resources before they left. 

"Pretty smooth back there, Diaz. You're not hiding anything else under that pelt are you?" Star asked with a flirty tone that made Marco gulp and try to focus on thoughts of cold showers and ice cubes so that nothing else he had down there would become apparent with just a loose bit of fur covering him.

"I sure hope I still am, don't want to display it to everyone in broad daylight." Star laughed at the joke and it put Marco more at ease as they walked. The interior of the camp wasn't what he'd been expecting at all. After the great plains and thick woods they'd passed on the way in here he was sure there would be something more foreboding on the opposite side of the fence. Instead the path they walked down felt almost cozy. The sunlight shined down just enough to let them see where they were going easily and he noted there were little lamp polls along the path for night travel. Every so often there were colorful flowers planted near by that seemed to shine with a magical light. It was all more clean and tidy than he'd come to know from the Johansen kingdom's residents. "Looks like this is our spot." 

"This is more like a hotel room than a camp site." Star commented as they looked at the door before them. Similar to the check in station at the entrance it was a small wooden building that was practically built to fit into the woods so snugly that the trees were growing around the sides. In fact all the camp sites they passed had this look to them that offered maximum privacy for those that wanted it. Other than the numbers that were carved into the center of the door to notify them of which spot was which it didn't have anything about it that would make you think it was a designated camping lodge. "I was expecting an open lot or something like that, a place where a war party could gather together before a big hunt." 

"Maybe it's not meant for a lot of people? You did say your mom and dad came here alone before, right?" Marco asked, trying to fit the pieces together with even less of the puzzle than Star had. 

"I guess... maybe this place really is meant for hunting in pairs. If that's the case it's a good thing I waited till I had you to come with me." Star said with a sweet smile that caused Marco to blush some. 

"Heh, well... thank you. Did you want to check it out?" 

"Nah, we can come back here later. Let's go and get this party started!" Star declared excitedly and lead the way further into the camp. Marco followed along closely as Star's pace picked up but the two were disappointed to find that the deeper they went into the camp the more it seemed to just wind in on itself. In fact after walking for a few minutes they'd managed to lap the entire location on the trail and end up right in front of their camp site again. Star grumbled audibly as she looked both ways down the winding path that had brought them here. "What the heck is going on here?" 

"Now that I think of it she didn't give us a map or anything when she let us in. It was like she didn't think we'd go any farther than our little building here." 

"Well that's silly, how the heck are we supposed to go Warnicorn hunting if this place is fenced off from all the Warnicorns!?"

"Hey Star, check that out." Marco motioned down the path to a door they'd passed up before. Unlike the others that were part of some kind of enclosed space this door was farther back away from the path. Notably it was built into the frame of the fencing that protected the camp site, though there wasn't any sign carved, painted or set near the exit at all. "Where do you think this goes?" 

"I dunno, it doesn't really say." The princess pondered out loud as she inspected the door way over. Curiously she placed her hand on the knob of the door and twisted it. With a gentle push it swung open before them with no resistance at all. Drawn to what may be beyond the two walked through the exit to find themselves out in a much more untamed portion of the woods. The canopy was thick and over grown while the plants around them were scattered and wild looking. This was more like what Star had imagined them being a part of. "Looks like we found it!" 

"Really? This is where we're supposed to be?" Marco asked doubtfully as he followed Star through the woods, their feet trudging down a rough path that had been worn by those who walked it before them. "None of this looks like it's part of the place we paid to get into." 

"Don't worry about it Marco, it's all part of the experience." Star reassured him happily, already eager to be out in the wild where she could let herself go without having to worry about the consequences. Her self confidence didn't make him feel any more secure though. "From here we have a chance to find a wild Warnicorn eating some of the leaves off the plants or drinking from a pond. Oh! Oh, we might even get to see a Warnicorn pony!" The princess clapped her hands joyfully at the thought of a horned foal approaching them. 

"Maybe... or we might get lost in the woods never to be seen again." 

"Pfft, that can happen in any woods. Doesn't make these ones special." She wasn't wrong but having a practical view point over a possible horrible fate didn't make Marco feel any better about it. "Maybe we should search for a more open area to try and find them?" 

"Good luck with that, we're pretty much surrounded by trees." Marco replied as he tried to survey the area around them. "At this rate we could walk any direction and have just as much chance in finding one of them as we would a monster."

"Maybe from down here, but from up there I could see everything around us!" Star replied as she pointed at a tree who's top had pierced through the canopy of leaves, offering a way to see over the top of the thick woods. 

"Are you sure about this? I don't want you risking yourself and accidentally falling off a branch or something." 

"Come on now, if it's not a little dangerous than what was the point of coming out here at all? Now give me a boost up! I'll grab one of those lower branches and climb the rest of the way." Deciding that arguing would be a waste of precious energy Marco complied with Star and got down on one knee. The princess climbed up onto Marco's back, sitting up onto his shoulders and holding his hand for balance. Once they felt confident enough Marco got to his feet and walked them over to the tree.

"I still don't think you're tall enough." The lowest branch was still a ways up above Star but she wasn't deterred. Placing a hand on the tree trunk Star carefully began to rise up onto her feet on Marco's shoulders. To his credit he managed to support her, both of them using the tree for stability. "Careful! Do you have your balance?"

"Yeah, I do. Try to stand up a little taller, I've almost got a grip." Star asked and Marco near about pressed the front of his body to the tree to keep himself stable as he tried to stand on his toes to extend her reach. Star's hands grabbed upward and eventually got a solid grip onto the branch. "Got it!" 

"Good, didn't know how much more I coul-" Marco was cut short when he looked up to see how Star was progressing. Though he got to see a lot more than he bargained for. "Uh... uh... um..." 

"What?" Star asked as she looked down at Marco. "I could still use some help here. Can you push me up with your hands?" 

"Star you're... I mean... you're not..." Star's furry dress had already been shorter than what he was used to seeing her in but from this angle he was able to see clearly what was happening underneath the dress. Or more likely what wasn't happening under there. "You don't have any underwear on..." 

"Well duh, what did I tell you back at the house? You don't wear underwear when you go Warnicorn hunting." 

"Oh." Marco replied, still a bit shocked at what he was seeing above him. 

"Uh, Marco? I still need help up this tree." Star asked sounding a little annoyed he'd gotten distracted this easily.

"Oh! Oh yeah, sorry sorry! I'm sorry!" Looking straight ahead Marco focused on his task, using his hands and stabling his body to push Star the rest of the way up the tree. With his help Star was able to get her arms around in a strong enough grip to lift herself upward and over. Her physical strength shining through as she began climbing upward.

"I'll come back down as soon as I see where we should get going, okay?" The princess called down to him as she kept going up and up.

"Okay! Marco shouted back as he watched Star disappear into the leaves, taking a moment to collect himself after quite an unexpected sight. It wasn't something that was unfamiliar to him but an eyeful of Star in that position in that dress was enough to stop him cold.

Turning around and resting his back on the trunk of the tree Marco let his body relax and his breathing return to normal. Even without trying she always managed to catch him off guard. He was unsure how long it would take for her to scale the whole tree so Marco allowed himself to become lost in the world around him and avoid the tempting thoughts of what was going on above him. The forest was dense and lush with the color green as sunlight came through just enough to make the forest seemingly glow. It was a calming sight to take in and made it easy to feel tranquillity around them. 

Which was how Marco managed to hear the faint sound of conversation happening in the distance. Star still hadn't returned from her climb upward and there wasn't any sign of her descending soon. Realizing that if other people were out here doing the same as themselves that meant they might be able to provide some advice on where to find these elusive Warnicorns they were after. Picking himself up Marco walked down the trail a little further to try and find the source of the voices. It didn't take long at all for him to discover another rough trail that branched out from the worn main path he and Star had come by. Quietly and carefully the Earth boy made his away through the woods to the source of the voices. 

It winded around a bit and wasn't nearly as wide as the previous area he'd been walking through. But the trail was clear enough and before long he could hear the voices more clearly. Perhaps due to the various adventures he'd been on already Marco naturally began to move cautiously through the trees to spy on the people he was coming towards. Not that he had ill intentions towards them but his careful nature and knowledge of other dimensions taught him to never trust anything right away. Peeking through the branches of the path Marco was able to find a clearing at the end of the trail that had three figures sitting together on a patch of grass. He didn't know who they were but he was certain of what they were. "Monsters!" 

Monsters indeed, three of them all sitting together and simply conversing with one another. They weren't doing anything violent or dangerous, in fact they seemed outright peaceful. Upon observing closer Marco also noted that they happened to be three female monsters. It was a little difficult to tell since they weren't human but the sounds of their voices and shapes of their figures were all clearly effeminate. There was a bird like one who hand feathery arms that resembled wings, a lizard like one with long black hair that went down her back, and a faun girl who's legs and antlers were more deer like than goat. 

As far as Marco could tell they hadn't noticed him and he wanted to keep it that way. He was used to fighting against monsters that worked for Ludo or ones they came across during their magical adventures but he wasn't eager to start a fight if it could be avoided. Turning away Marco began to tip toe down the path again before his ears caught on that things had suddenly become more quiet than before. Turning back Marco noted the bird-girl monster wasn't in the small clearing any longer and he felt his heart drop. His body spun around to start moving faster down the path but he let out a surprised grunt when he collided with something solid and covered in a downy soft exterior. 

"Nobody likes a guy that peeps, you know." A high pitched voice said before him as Marco looked up to notice the bird monster blocking his path. Backing up quickly Marco let out another grunt of surprise as he'd basically fallen into the clearing and against another solid figure. 

"He's probably just shy." A woman's voice in a lower tone spoke up, Marco turning to see the lizard woman standing near him now. 

"Well he might as well get his courage up, coming all this way to visit us." A cheerful voice sprang up as the faun girl was approaching. Marco looked all around to see the monster girls had him surrounded. "We'd be rude not to welcome him, right?" 

Now that he was up close with them Marco was surprised by what he saw. For one they didn't appear as fearsome as Ludo's gang had been, their features much softer and pleasant than the usual monsters he punched. They weren't much different from the kind of people he'd seen attending the Bounce Lounge in the past, aside from appearing older and taller than the usual teenagers that hung out in the club. Also their clothes were similar to Marco's own attire, all loose cloth and rope fashioned into dresses and coverings that only just accomplished its job. There wasn't any weapons or armor on them, nothing that suggested they were here to fight. 

Although the sharp talons, pointed antlers and rows of teeth they sported didn't make him feel any safer. Swallowing his fear Marco tried to at least appear confident and non-threatening by speaking to them directly. "H-hello! N-n-nice to meet you?" The faun seemed the most responsive after his greeting, approaching closer.

"See, he's got manners. Nice to meet you too." She said and Marco nodded rapidly in response. The lizard woman also got closer, looking him over carefully. 

"Awfully young to be out here by yourself, aren't you little man?" He could sense a teasing sound to the lizard woman's voice but it was hard to tell if it was friendly or predatory. The bird girl closed the gap, they had him completely surrounded now. 

"I bet he heard about the nice monsters out here in the woods and wanted to visit us, isn't that right?" Marco could feel the soft brush of feathers on his back and held in a yelp from the surprise. Shakily he responded to all of them. 

"A-actually I'm here... with my friend. We're Warnicorn hunting." He thought letting them know someone else was around might cause them to retreat, but instead they seemed more intrigued. He felt the lizard woman's tail curl around his ankle and realized he was certainly caught now. 

"So you're from the camp ground up the way?" The lizard woman asked, her scaled hand resting on his shoulder as she talked. "No wonder you found your way down here. I guess he's one of those 'young hunters' that wants to prove himself." He didn't really understand what she meant by that but was too freaked out to ponder it any further. All of a sudden the faun girls hands were on his chest and all three of them were practically pressed against his body. Were they going to eat him? Was this how everything was going to end? Dead in the woods because he didn't have enough sense to wait for his friend to join up with him again? The faun leaned forward to look at him. 

"We can help you on your hunt." She said eagerly, smiling at him. "You wouldn't be the first boy that came out here and left as a man with our help." 

"Really?" Marco asked, not understanding at all what was happening right now but maybe this was some sort of monster thing he wasn't familiar with. They all seemed like they were acting a lot more friendly than he expected. Each one of them was smiling kindly his way and almost hanging off of him. It felt kind of nice and warm actually. Soft downy feathers, cushioned fur and smooth scales on his skin. He could get used to this. 

"Sure thing, as long as you have something nice for us." The faun winked at him but Marco stared blankly, unable to follow. "You can pay for our services right? If you have enough all of us can take you to places you've never thought possible." 

"Oh, I spent all my money already." Marco confessed and the tone around him changed almost immediately. 

"What?" The faun asked seriously, their kind smiles changing to looks of disappointment and annoyance. 

"Yeah, I kinda had to pay everything I had to get in here." Marco explained and looked around the three monster girls. Their affectionate acts ceased right away, each one backing off with a groan of disappointment. "Is... is something wrong?" 

"I knew it was too good to be true." The lizard woman complained, staring daggers at Marco. "He wanders out here like this and doesn't even bring anything to pay with. Typical kid." 

"What a waste of time." The bird girl grumbled, crossing her feathery arms in frustration. "Now what are we supposed to do?" Marco didn't really get what was happening but it looked like they were only being nice to him because they thought he had money? If they were really some kind of forest guides to help people find Warnicorns that made sense in a way. He must have looked like a potential customer and they were laying the act on thick to get him to hire them. 

"Well uh... I guess if you guys don't need anything I'll be on my way." Marco said and tried to head back down the path, though his path was blocked by a feathery arm before he could escape. Suddenly the rope he'd been carrying on his shoulder was hoisted away from him, the faun girl looking it over and testing its strength. "Hey, I paid for that too you know!" 

"Nice quality rope." The faun said as she grinned at Marco. "I mean after getting our hopes up you can't expect to leave us with nothing, right?" The three monster women began to surround Marco again but this time their postures were anything but affectionate. "There's a way you can still pay your debt to us."

 

Star's climb through the branches had taken longer than expected but wasn't difficult for her at all. It would have been faster to use her wand to make the travel but to her that felt like cheating and she wanted to keep the hunt pure for herself and for Marco. Which meant avoiding using magic where she could at any point. If she'd wanted she could have simply summoned a Warnicorn with her wand for Marco to practice on but that would have cheapened the experience of hunting and shoeing one yourself. 

There was some amusement in his reaction to her dress during the climb but she'd been too focused on her task to think much about it. Besides he'd seen her without her underwear before so she didn't get what the big deal was. That being said she was happy that her dress had gone over so well with him and that he looked pretty cute in that loincloth she'd picked out. Almost like a real Mewman hunter, which if today went well Marco might feel more like one too. It wasn't just that she wanted to finally come to this place her parents had forbade her from seeing in the past but she also wanted him to experience it with her. Something to share together and make him feel more at home on Mewni. 

At the peak of the tree top Star was able to see that the grassy plains of the kingdom were just beyond the edge of the forest and low and behold a heard of wild Warnicorns were there. "Bingo." Star said confidently to herself as she judged the distance from her tree to their location. It wouldn't take long at all to reach them and with any luck they'd be well on their way to a successful hunt. The princess cheerfully descended down the tree, careful to avoid getting snagged or cut up as she did. "Marco, I found them!" She called down as she descended, eager to get a move on while the day was young. Though when her feet hit the ground she was surprised to find there wasn't anyone there to meet her. "Marco?" 

Where would he have gone? It wasn't like him to wander off in places he didn't know, usually the opposite. She could almost count on him to stick to her as they traveled through other dimensions. "Marco!? Where'd you go? Did you wander off to pee? If so tell me okay, I don't want to walk in on that." Stopping to listen for a reply she was able to make out the sound of angry shouting in the distance. Curiously Star followed the noise to some tiny trail that lead off the main path and deeper into the woods. 

The trail wasn't very big but was well worn down as if many had traveled this way before. It was like something that was meant to only be seen by people who went looking for it. Easy to pass up if you weren't trying to get into the woods in the first place. As she got closer Star could hear voices more clearly and snuck closer to find out what was happening. She did find Marco, but not how she'd expected to see him. 

"Pretty good catch." A lizard monster said standing over Marco. Star's bestie was currently laying on the grass in the clearing before her, his body tied up in some complicated harness that wrapped around his whole body and hand his arms tied to his back. The lizard monster was holding onto a length of the rope that was a kind of leash for his bindings, her foot holding him down to the ground. "You got him restrained fast too." 

"It's been a while since I got to practice my roping skills. Glad to know I still got it." A faun said nearby as she was admiring her work. Marco struggled in vain as he couldn't get himself free from the bindings or out from under the lizard monster's foot. "So should we sell him? He's pretty healthy, I bet someone would pay a good amount of gold for him."

"Let's keep him for a while." A bird monster chimed up as she knelt down and pet Marco's head with the end of her wing. "I've always wanted a pet. I bet he'd be pretty funny to have until we got tired of him." Marco growled up at the monsters and began to struggle anew.

"I am not a pet!" Marco yelled angrily. "Let me go right this minute!" He was quieted by the tug at his leash and the pressure of the lizard monster's foot on his back. They all laughed at his plight, making the boy even more flustered at his situation. 

"Calm down little boy or we'll have to tie up that mouth of yours too." The lizard woman threatened, Marco's head laying against the ground defeated. This got a new round of laughs from the monsters around him which was the last straw for Star. Stealing her bestie was enough to make her made but humiliating him like this made her furious. Not that Marco didn't end up in humiliating situations all the time before but usually it was by accident and not with people laughing right at him. 

"Hey!" The princess declared, stepping into the clearing to the surprise of everyone around her. "Let him go!" 

"Looks like his friend finally showed up." The lizard monster said, stepping over Marco to approach Star confidently. "Come back here to get your boyfriend?" The faun stepped up after the lizard woman, taking hold of Marco's leash to make sure he couldn't escape. She looked Star over from a distance. 

"Oh wow, she's cute too. I bet if we sold them together we'd get even more gold for it." 

"Alright, now that there's two of them can we keep one as a pet and sell the other?" The bird monster suggested eagerly. "I like the boy more, she's too mean. We can sell her and keep him." Star narrowed her eyes angrily and clenched her hands into fists at the suggestion. 

"You're not keeping him or selling him, he's mine and you're going to give him back. Now!" The princess shouted but it didn't stop the monsters advance. The lizard one standing directly before her and looking down at the Mewman girl, smiling with her sharp teeth.

"Oh you think so? And what if we don't want to give him back?" She asked with a devilish grin. 

Star answered quickly with the sound of a hard thud as her fist collided with the side of the lizard woman's face. A moment passed where everyone, even the surrounding birds, seemed to go completely silent. Followed by another thud as the lizard monster fell backwards onto the grass, knocked out cold with one blow.

Star stepped forward over the unconscious figure of the monster woman, her two friends retreating quickly into the trees and hiding behind the trunks in fear. She approached Marco who had also been stunned into silence as she hoisted the boy over her shoulder and held him there like a trophy she'd won. Instead of saying a warning the Mewni princess simply growled at the two remaining monsters, turning her back and leaving them behind. Neither monster dared to stop her. 

Silently Star walked back down the small winding trail to the main path of the camp ground. To her left was the direction of the open plains where the Warnicorn herd had been grazing. They could still head that way and probably catch them, but it would have been difficult to do what they'd came for with Marco restrained like this. Instead Star headed to the right, carrying Marco past the tree she'd climbed and towards the camp ground they'd rented a spot to rest in. Before entering the grounds Star set Marco onto his feet on the dirt, the boy looking both embarrassed and puzzled at what had transpired. 

"Uh... thank you. Star. For saving me." Marco said meekly, unsure of what to do in this situation. He pulled at the rope around his body but found it was still very secure. 

"Do you mind telling me what happened back there?" Star asked, crossing her arms and leaning away from Marco. "Why the heck were you in the woods with a bunch of monsters?"

"Sorry." Marco said but Star didn't accept just that and he found the voice to continue. "I heard someone talking in the distance and I thought it was another group of people hunting like us." 

"So you went to check on them alone, without me?" 

"I dunno, I just kinda... thought maybe if I found someone they'd help us on our hunt." 

"Marco, do you know how dangerous that is?" Star asked seriously and Marco felt some irony in the moment.

"You're lecturing me on danger?" 

"Yes! I am because... you weren't there! Okay, you weren't there when I got down from the tree and I didn't know where you were and there was a moment where I couldn't find you at all and I got scared and I just... I dunno! I'm mad but I'm happy too cause you're safe." Star sighed at a loss. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to you while we were on this trip." 

"Well if it's not a little dangerous then what was the point of coming out here?" Marco recited Star's own words back to her and they hit like a rock against her chest. 

"Yeah but... when it's us together it doesn't feel dangerous, even if it is. When you were gone and I couldn't find you that was different." Star grumbled and pulled at her own hair in frustration. "If something bad happened to you then it was my fault and I couldn't live with myself knowing I got you hurt."

"Kind of like how I feel with you on Earth." Marco replied with a sigh. "I get it, this was us in your home and you feel like you're the responsible one right now, right? So when I went and got into trouble you were just scared for me, you didn't think about yourself at all."

"Is this how you feel back home?" Star asked sadly, realizing somehow what things must be like from Marco's perspective every day dealing with someone as wild as her. 

"Sometimes, but not always. After all I trust you. But in a way I'm responsible for you too, even if you're the strongest person I ever met. So I still worry, can't help myself." Star suddenly leaned in and hugged Marco tightly. "Oof! Star?" 

"Sorry I got mad at you." Star said while hugging him tight. Marco let out a sigh and relaxed in the embrace, unable to hug back.

"Sorry I wandered off." 

"It's all okay." Star said happily, breaking the hug and standing before him again. "Now we should probably go back to camp real quick and get that rope off you. You're going to need your hands after all once we get back out there."

"Yes, please. Walking is about the only thing I can do like this." Agreeing on their next destination Star opened the door to the camp grounds and they entered. On the way back to their camping spot Star took Marco by his leash and lead him along, commenting that she thought Marco did make a pretty good pet after all. He didn't appreciate the sentiment however, eager to be rid of his bindings as fast as possible. Once they arrived at their spot Star opened the door with they key they'd been given and lead Marco inside, letting it close behind them.

The room was different from what Star had been expecting, much like the rest of this place. It was small and intimate, the main portion of the room taken up by a large bed that had a few layers of sheets and blankets resting on top. To the side there was a wash tub for bathing that was just big enough for two adults and a small room that from what she could tell was an outhouse in the corner. There was a lamp hanging from the ceiling of the room and more of those magical flowers lining the sides of the walls to give it a dim glow.

"Star... what is this?" Marco asked, looking around confused. "This is a camp ground for hunting?" 

"I guess?" Star asked just as confused. Marco walked forward and sat on the edge of the bed, looking around at the interior.

"I kind of like it, it's got a homey feel to it. Welcoming." 

"Oh, there's a storage chest." Star noted on the opposite side of the room from where the tub was. "Maybe they have some swords or knives or something in there." The chest was rather simple, made of a plain wood and lacking a latch or lock. Star opened the lid to see if there was anything useful inside for their situation. Reaching in she found a small cloth bag and a jar of something she couldn't recognize. "What the heck is all of this?" 

"No tools?" Marco asked curiously. 

"No, not a one. There's just this stuff here." Star set the bag aside and opened up the jar's lid, it popping off from the air tight seal previously that held it in place. Sticking her fingers in she pulled them back to find something slippery coating them. "Is this like... some kind of cream? Or a lotion?" 

"Can I see too?" Marco asked and Star complied, closing the chest and bringing the jar and bag with her to where Marco was sitting. She held the jar up to his face and let him look it over and smell the contents as his hands weren't very ready to use at the moment. "That smells like some kind of animal fat based cream. It's sticky?" 

"The opposite actually, it's really slippery and smooth." She rubbed her fingers against Marco's bare shoulder to let him feel it while also cleaning them off and then set the jar down on the floor in front of them. Next she opened the cloth bag and reached inside, pulling out something small and square. "This thing is full of something or other too." Star showed Marco the small item that seemed to be made of some kind of wax paper. You could seen the indentation of a round object in the middle. 

"Hey, I think I've seen this before." Marco commented as he looked it over. She had too in fact, or at least recognized this shape and package if not having actually held one in the past. It was something she wasn't allowed to see before for some reason. Something forbidden from her. Something a proper princess wasn't supposed to be touching during her young teenage years. 

"Oh no." Star said to herself quietly as realization set in. Her hand lost its grip on the bag, letting it fall to the floor and spilling the contents all over before them. More round objects tightly sealed in square wax paper.

"Wait a minute those look like..." It suddenly dawned on Marco what they were also. "Oh. Oh they're..."

"Oh no oh no oh no." Star repeated to herself, resting her face in her hands. They were condoms. It was a bag filled with condoms. It was a jar full of lubricant. This wasn't a camp for going Warnicorn hunting at all. 

"So uh... this isn't what we thought it was, is it?" 

"It's a mating camp." Star mumbled from between her fingers that covered her face. "I took us to a mating camp." 

"We call them love motels... um, you know, on Earth." Marco stammered, trying to help but not doing a good job in the process. "So then the name Horny Meadows; it wasn't talking about horses with horns I'm guessing." 

"Oh no." Star mumbled again in embarrassment. 

"And when we told that lady at the counter we were taking me in for my first time..." 

"Oh nooooooooo!" Star whined as she fell back on the bed and curled up, turning away from Marco.

"Now that I think about it those monsters out there were all girls and they knew about the camp and-" Realization hit Marco like a brick to the head. "Oh my God they were prostitutes." 

Star rolled all the way over now onto her stomach and held her hands over her head as if she could block out the reality around her. "I can't believe I was so dumb! I didn't notice anything wrong with any of this!"

"Well... hey, you weren't alone. I didn't notice anything either." 

"You've never even been in this kingdom before Marco, of course you wouldn't. Now I get why my parents said I couldn't come here until I was older. Oh no oh no oh no." Star was dealing with her own panic attack but Marco was struggling to find a way to comfort her while he was still restrained. The form of the harness they'd tied around his body made a lot more sense now that he knew what its primary purpose was for. "I'm such an idiot." 

"Star, it's okay. I mean... it's kinda funny right?" Star's head rolled over to glare at him. "I mean... yeah sure we didn't know what was happening here but we still got to go on an adventure, right?"

"I guess." Star said, letting out a sigh. "I'm so embarrassed right now. You must think I'm a real screw up, huh?"

"Nah." Marco said, falling onto the bed to lay on it and look at her eye to eye. "I messed up today too and I had no idea what was happening around me. But even after my screw up you still saved my skin, right?" Star gave a sad nod to Marco. "So it's okay, everything worked out fine." 

"Other than everyone saw the princess of Mewni come into a breeding camp with her bestie from Earth." 

"Well okay yeah, that part isn't good. But we didn't give our names to anyone and nobody seemed to recognize you. I don't think they had any idea." 

"Really?" Star asked hopefully.

"Really." 

"Well... okay then. Maybe this did turn out okay after all. Even if we didn't find any Warnicorns and ended up somewhere completely wrong from what I intended." Star grumbled to herself realizing just how many things she had to ignore to get this far.

"If you promise to take me on another hunt then I'd be willing to go with you." Marco assured her and it got a smile out of the princess. 

"You really are the best." 

"Totally worth fighting off those monsters to take me back to camp, right?" Marco asked with a laugh. 

"Well I had to come home with some kind of trophy. It would be a shame for the daughter of King Butterfly to go out hunting and come back with nothing at all." They laughed together as the tension in the room began to leave them. Things had been odd and scary, then downright humiliating for Star. But now back with him she could feel a sense of easiness in her heart again. They laid there together in the dim light of the room for a while until Marco used his legs to pull his body up to a sitting position. 

"I guess I should ask the lady at the counter if she has a knife or scissors or something to get out of this mess." Marco said looking himself over. "They might have been a group of weirdos but they really knew how to tie a knot." Pulling himself onto his feet Marco began to walk away but found his progress stopped short as the end of the leash on his harness was held tight. Star's hand gripped around the rope, keeping him from going forward. "Star?" 

"You know, thinking about it, I did bring you back as a trophy." Star said quietly, slowly sitting up on the end of the bed and keeping her hand tight around the rope. "And we are in a breeding camp." Marco swallowed a lump in his throat harder than when he'd felt his life was in danger from the monsters. Star's eyes leaving him more paralyzed than any fear those monster girls could inflict in him. 

"I uh... are you sure that's a good idea?" She began to pull on the rope, bringing him closer to her and standing up to meet him. He didn't fight her pull, not that he could if he'd wanted to. "I mean you don't have to... if you don't want to?" One of her hands raised up and held his cheek, the pull of it stronger than any rope he could have been bound with. 

"My trophy, I'll do what I want with it." Star whispered and pressed her lips against his own. Marco's tension melted away as she kissed him and he was lost into the feeling. Even after spending nearly every moment together somehow she could still stop him with a kiss so easily. When their lips finally parted Star's hand grabbed him by the harness and tossed Marco onto the bed with a surprised yelp. He landed in the middle of the mattress and before he knew it was mounted by Star who continued to kiss him deeply. There wasn't a bit of resist to her advance. 

Previously Marco had been worried of his rather small attire hiding anything that shouldn't be seen. With him laying on his back and Star's lips against his that fear became reality as his excitement from their time together pushed the loin cloth up and out of the way easily. While on top of him Star slid back and Marco felt the back of her thigh collide with his erection. The princess broke her kiss with him. "Having fun?" 

"You're teasing me while I'm helpless." Marco complained, not that he was actually upset about his situation. Star gave the leash a little pull and giggled to herself. 

"I see why someone would like this, it's pretty neat with how much control it gives you." 

"I was right though about these outfits, they barely cover anything when it counts." Marco said, feeling vindicated about his previous concerns with their hunting attire.

"Are you so sure it's a bad thing?" Star asked him and flipped herself around over top of his chest. She reached back with her hand and pulled her skirt upward, not that it was hiding much of her in the first place in that position. "You liked this view before, right?" 

"Uh... um..." Yes, he did. A lot. It was hard to convey with words though when she was this close. 

"I thought so." Star said happily and reached up with her hands to rub his cock softly. She could hear Marco moan in approval behind her and smiled to herself. Her fingers gently caressing him as they moved up and down. "I like these outfits a lot too. They make me feel wild and sexy. Like I'm able to do anything I want." Marco only panted heavily in return, not that she minded any. "I bet after everything you've seen today you're really excited. Should I help you get rid of all that tension?" Star asked teasingly and rubbed the head of Marco's cock with her fingers. She could feel him squirm beneath her and his struggling pleased her. 

Removing her hands Star slid her body up further and pulled her hair to one side, leaning in to give him a kiss on the tip. "Just relax okay? I want you to enjoy it." Star offered before dipping her head down further and taking Marco's cock into her mouth. Her head moving slowly over his length and coated it wet from her lips. His body was hot from everything they'd done today and they both smelled of sweat but she didn't mind in this moment. Pleasing him like this while keeping him pinned down beneath her, it made her feel dominate and eager to serve him at the same time. It was weird but she was also thankful the harness had been tied in such a way to allow her easy access to this part of him. She needed to look up how to do this later when she got back home. 

It wasn't like she'd planned on them getting this intimate today, but after everything they'd been through and where they ended up it felt like an opportunity she didn't want to pass. Not that Marco seemed to mind any. Nor dd he judge her for the mistakes she'd made today or the desire to be intimate after the failed camping trip together. It was that acceptance combined with their circumstances which got her excited enough to try it in the first place.

Star's hand gently moved down to cup a hold of Marco's balls, her head dipping down further as she did. One free hand kept hold of the rope that connected the two of them together, an unnecessary act but one that made her feel good when she did it. Like he really was all hers. Her mouth continued to perform the long sucking motions before pulling back and moving faster against the top of his cock. Her fingers massaged him from beneath and Star could hear his moans grow louder. 

"St... Star! I'm... ah!" She could feel him getting closer and decided to help him along the way before it carried on too long. Pulling her lips away with a strong suck against his skin, Star lifted her free hand to grip around his cock tighter and swiftly stroke against it. He began to squirm more beneath her and she watched as her hands continued to pump against him until he came, shooting out his appreciation against his thigh and the bedding beneath him. A small amount hit Star's cheek and she used her hand to wipe it off, licking it from her fingers. 

"Feeling better?" Star asked as she sat up on his stomach, looking over her shoulder at him with a lusty smile. Marco only nodded in return, still catching his breath from his climax having happened so soon. "Good!" She replied to him happily. 

"Star..." Marco gasped out, catching her attention again. "If it's okay... can you slide back?" 

"Slide back?" Star asked, confused by her position on him at the moment. 

"Yeah... back, closer to me." 

"Oh." She said, realizing that would place her sitting directly above his face. "You want to do that with me?" 

"Only if you want to. I don't want to be the only one that gets something special today." Marco confessed. Star realized she was in control and could deny him if she'd wanted. It was a little embarrassing of a position to be in, even if she had gotten on top of him herself. But that was different, she'd been in control then. This would be letting him do something to her.

"Okay." Star agreed, sliding backwards until she felt herself positioned over his head, careful not to catch his skin or hair with her knees. "Is that good?" 

"Yeah, that's great. Wow... you're great. Every time I see you like this." 

"Marco don't go giving commentary on myyyYYYYY-!" Star let out a a gasp as she felt his tongue slide up against her pussy, surprising herself at how good it felt on contact. Apparently she'd wanted it more than she realized. 

His tongue moved against her eagerly, licking at her folds and slipping in between them. Star panted hard and held onto the leash in her hand with a grip. Using her arms to support herself as her thighs were quivering with the attention she was receiving. She could feel him moving in various directions against her dripping pussy and edging her closer to her own climax. Her legs began to part more and lower against his mouth, wanting that attention from him. Marco didn't let her down as his tongue dipped inside of Star and began to lap at her inside.

Star grit her teeth feeling the desire to moan loudly come but wanting to resist while they were in an unfamiliar place. Pulling the rope upward she put it in her mouth and muffled her groans against it, her hands gripping at Marco's sides while he continued to eat her out. Star's body leaned forward and her hips began to move against his mouth eagerly. Sensing her need Marco began to drag his tongue against the surface of her pussy and provide as much friction as he could. She could feel herself wanting to climax but suddenly wanted something more to get there. "M-Mercof!" Star mumbled from her imposed gag with the rope and spit it out. "M-Marco Marco stop! Stop!" The princess lifted herself off of Marco's face, his mouth surrounded by a dampness that signified how much she'd been enjoying their time together.

"What? What, is everything okay?" 

"Yeah it is I just... I need something from you." The statement confused him as he'd never heard her say anything like that before during their time together like this. 

"You 'need' something?" 

"I do, I need something." Star said again, now standing off of the bed. "Do you think you have self control over yourself?" 

"I guess?" Marco didn't know what she meant by this but Star nodded happily and ran to the end of the bed. Marco leaned up to watch her pick up the jar of lubricant they'd found earlier and take some of it out with her fingers. She began to rub the inside of her thighs with it, coating herself all over between her legs with the slippery substance. Once she was done Star crawled back onto the bed over Marco and got another handful. 

"It takes you a while to cum again after the first time, right? There shouldn't be too much risk of it happening again?" Star asked as she rubbed her hands with the lube. 

"Well, yeah, I've never timed it or anything but usually-"

"Great!" Star said and began to coat Marco's cock with the lubricant as well. Marco shivered feeling her hands grip onto him again, his erection never fully leaving him from before but now back in full force with the stroking of her hands. Once Star was satisfied she used both hands to press him back down onto the bed on his back. Climbing over him Star carefully positioned her hips over Marco's in a way that seemed pretty direct at what she was after. 

"Whoa wait a minute! I thought you said we couldn't do that!?"

"Just relax." Star insisted as she moved her body down on top of him, pressing their hips together. Marco could feel her pussy pressing against his cock, their bodies making contact but with his erection laid flat against his body without entering Star. The princess let out a breath of satisfaction feeling the pressure. "Oh wow, you're really hard right now."

"You made sure of it." Marco said through more deep breaths, Star having planted her hands on either side of him and slowly rubbing herself against his body. Her hair draped down over her shoulders and touched his skin, a familiar soft feeling that was becoming associated with this kind of intense emotion. The thought that something this pleasant could become addicting floated through his head but left as quickly as Star rubbed all logic out of him with her hips. His body shivering with each slow movement back and forth, pressing down hard on his erection and grinding into him. 

"It's goooood." Star said in a gasp, a bit overtaken by the new form of pleasure she'd discovered. "It's like... like that night in my bed. Do you remember that?" He nodded to her in return, trying to keep from moving too much as he felt the damp pressure of her pussy rubbing against him with her entrance. "But it's so much better like this." He couldn't argue despite the dangerous position it put them in. No underwear between them this time. No cloth of any kind, not even any of the scattered condoms on the floor. Just her skin and his, dangerously close to crossing that one line they'd agreed not to cross. One slip, one push, one over exaggerated motion and they'd be closer to each other than ever before. 

The danger was apparent to them both, though neither suggested to stop.

Star's breaths came faster as she moved with more force. Her eyes closed tight as she pressed down hard on Marco's body with enough pressure that things were getting more uncomfortable than erotic. Though he wasn't going to complain, not wanting to deny her something that made her this happy. She lifted the end of the rope she'd been holding onto and bit into the end of it again, teeth marks apparent from the last time she'd used it as a gag. Her hips grinding hard into him until she let out a loud moan against the rope and her body shivered in delight, grinding into him hard for a while longer as she rode out the climax. Marco endured the pressure until she was satisfied, the rope falling from her mouth onto his chest as she panted deeply. They never crossed the line. He never went inside of her, despite being so dangerously close. 

"Ooooooh woooooow." Star said in a groan, her hips sliding down his body farther and away from his cock. Her upper body lowering down onto him until it was pressed to her stomach. The blonde princess smiled at him dreamily and Marco watched her glowing expression. "That was reeeeally nice." 

"I could tell, any more and you would have crushed me against the bed." Marco said with amusement. "I'm... I'm happy that you got to feel happy too." Star cocked her head to the side in confusion. 

"You didn't think I was happy before?" 

"It's not that I just wanted to be sure. You know? That I wasn't the only one that got to feel good by the end of it." Marco tried to explain and the smile returned to Star's face. 

"You wanted things to be fair between us?" She asked happily. "Don't worry, they were." She kissed his chest between the bindings of rope above his heart. Laying against him wasn't as comfortable with the harness on but at least there was some room for cuddling. There was a quiet moment between them as they laid in the dim room, Marco's head back on the pillow catching his breath and Star running her fingers over the ropes the held him in place. "Hey Marco, does it bother you that we didn't do it?" 

"Do what?" Marco asked, truly confused as to what they could have missed by this point. 

"That we didn't go all the way. You know... inside." 

"Not at all." Marco replied confidently. 

"Really? Like... not even a little?"

"You said you didn't want to go that far yet. Who am I to say you should do something you're not comfortable with just because it might feel good." 

"Marco... you're so sweet!" Star stammered through emotional teary eyes, climbing up the bed to lay next to him and hug him tightly. "You really care about me that much?" 

"Ooof! C'mon Star, don't be silly. Of course I care about you. You care about me too, right?" 

"Wouldn't trade you in for a whole heard of Warnicorns." Star said happily, rubbing her cheek against his own as they hugged. 

"Great... although now that we've uh... used this camp ground is it alright if I get untied finally? These ropes are really starting to dig into my skin." 

"But I kinda like you this way, you're so easy to keep at arms reach now." Star said with a grin and kept hugging Marco tightly. "With this little rope end here too I can have you follow along with me where ever I go. My pet Marco." 

"You're forgetting that I already follow you every where you go to make sure you stay out of trouble." 

"Even better, now I can take you everywhere and I can get into all the trouble I want." Marco gave her a glare and Star nervously laughed. "Kidding! Kidding, I'm kidding... mostly. I guess we can head back home and find something in my room to set you free. Too bad though, I was hoping we could use the tub before we left." 

"Really?" Marco asked sitting up and looking at the old metal tub that took up part of the room. "It looks like just a big bucket." 

"Right! You get water from a source and pour it in. Light a fire under it and you've got a toasty tub for two!" Despite her sales pitch Marco wasn't sold on the idea of bathing in a metal container that had countless people sitting in there before him. 

"Think I'll pass actually, who knows who used it before us. Or if anyone has even cleaned it since then."

"C'mon Marco, have a sense of adventure. I'm sure whoever sat in there before wouldn't bother us today." 

"This might have been the room your parents used when they were here." Marco suggested, a thought that put a dagger right through the heart of any passion Star still had for this place. 

"You're right, lets get out of here now." Star said gloomily as she picked up her purse and pulled out her magical scissors. "When we get back let me take a picture of you before we cut off that rope, I want to see if I can figure out how to tie it myself." 

"Heck no we're not doing that! I don't need Janna getting her hands on proof of this happening to me."

"Janna's not going to get any of the pictures off my phone silly, don't be so paranoid." 

"You say that now..."

Star's magical scissors opened a dimensional rift within the duo's private room, allowing them safe and easy passage back to their home. Knowing that her parents had used that place for their own romantic romp wasn't something Star enjoyed but she was oddly thankful to them for sparking the idea to visit it in the first place. The trio of monster women never did realize the identities of the two that visited their secluded patch in the woods, though it did encourage them to be more polite and respectful to their visitors least they come across another angry spouse in the future. While the woman who ran the camp grounds wasn't pleased with the mess left by the two young visitors, she did appreciate their politeness upon meeting them and just how cute they had been together. In an odd way it reminded her of another couple she'd met some years ago, but she couldn't recall just who that might have been. 

They did eventually untie Marco from his bindings and a week later the boy put the horse shoes on and road his first Warnicorn by himself. Star made sure to get pictures of that special event at least to keep as a reminder of their trip together, photos that of course made it into the hands of Janna as Marco predicted. However the only evidence of their first Mewni camping trip together was held by just a single person. In the form of a rope kept under Star's bed with familiar teeth marks pressed into the one end.


	8. Balloons

St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses was a name that sent a chill through all young girls of royal parentage. A place known for terrifying rumors and legends as much as it was for education and domestication. Stories of girls being sent away by kings and queens who couldn't handle the responsibility of raising an unruly daughter or simply didn't want to bother with the effort and having them come back completely different were not uncommon. As if not just their spirit had been broken but the very essence of what made them individuals in the first place had been removed. The name of the school alone was often enough to keep some princesses in line, but there were enough unfortunate souls that still found their way past the black gates of St. Olga's. 

If this sounded like a place of torture and brainwashing, well that's because it was. While the parents rarely complained about the change of attitude in their daughters upon returning from St. Olga's there was often a noticeable difference. Enough that some expressed regret sending their children to an institution that stole the very light out of their eyes. Not enough that St. Olga ever ran out of new students to educate though, and the headmistress Miss Heinous worked hard to keep up the image of the school as a place of legitimate education. She'd done quite well in keeping everyone outside her school in the dark, and everyone within as compliant prisoners with only the rarest of exceptions ever escaping or resisting. In the end everyone was a perfect little princess, or else. 

That is until the arrival of Star Butterfly and "Princess Marco". Looking to free their friend Princess Pony Head from capture for just a day of fun on her birthday, the duo found out the truth about the school first hand. Infiltrating and securing their friend's release, Marco's knowledge gained from hours of watching prison break movies came in handy as they lead a riot and revolt against the faculty of the school. With the toppling of Heinous from her seat of power within the school and the expulsion of her from the building along with her manservant Gemini, St. Olga's went from a center of oppression to a center of partying. Despite having gone there to free here, Pony Head chose to stay behind and continue the party with her fellow escaped inmates. Star and Marco made a quick escape afterwards, but not without leaving an impression upon everyone there. Princess Marco became the hero of all young female royalty across multiple worlds and kingdoms, while Miss Heinous went into hiding as a fugitive once her crimes were brought to light.

Months later though the party began to die down. Princess Marco was still a hero the girls looked up to, even opening a line of merchandise ranging from toys to apparel. Miss Heinous was still a villain on the loose, planning her vengeance against her nemesis that lead the revolution against her precious school. However it turned out the young and previously labeled rebellious princesses were more mature than they had been given credit for. They wanted an education, they wanted to go to school and not grow up aimless or foolish. There was just small request they be respected as individuals rather than forcefully groomed into a stereotype none of them agreed with. With Star and Marco having returned home after their part in reforming the Reform School, it was left to one princess to take the reigns so to speak. 

"You're in charge of a St. Olga's?" Marco asked with a dry tone of disbelief at the floating horse head before him. "And everyone agreed to that?" 

"For your information Earth Turd, I happen to be an amazing and capable leader when the situation calls for it." The magical pony princess fired back at the Earth boy, the two having always been a little at odds with each other despite coming to an agreement to be friends. If just for Star's sake. "Besides everything was all sorts of chaotic and junk after Heinous ran outta there. Then all the teachers were like 'Oh no, who's gonna pay us?' and I was like 'Whatever, why should I care', know what I mean?" 

"Sounds about right so far." Marco replied, still not impressed as he sat on Star's bed next to the Mewni princess who was listening to Pony Head's story with more enthusiasm than Marco could muster. 

"Then after a while everyone was like 'Hey Pony Head, we're hungry, what we gonna eat?', so I was like 'Just order pizza or some junk, what's it matter?'. Then they were all 'Pony Head, the lights and the water ain't runnin' no more, who's gonna pay the bills?', and that's when I knew I had to do something to like get all these girls to stop whining to me all the time, know what I'm saying?" 

Star clapped her hands in celebration of her friends initiative at taking charge of the situation. "So you managed to get the school back up and running all by yourself?" She asked with a bright smile.

"Uh yeah, sure, y'know it was all me... and sorta my dad." Pony Head mumbled at the end of her sentence. Marco however didn't want to let that last part just leave out of the story. 

"Sorry, I couldn't quite hear you at the end. Did you say something more there?" Marco asked with a bit of a grin. 

"Alright, fine! I called daddy and he put everything together. Jeez Marco, you happy?"

"Kinda." Marco answered gleefully, getting an elbow from Star in the side. 

"C'mon Marco, be supportive! Pony Head really came through and saved the day. Now we don't have to be afraid of St. Olga's ever again! That's the best thing I've ever heard in my life." 

"Alright alright, she did pretty good this time around. Though Heinous is still out there looking to kill us all, right?" Marco added, though he'd gotten used to monsters and maniacs coming after him after spending so much time with Star. Pony Head didn't share the same fears as the Earth boy however. 

"Whatever. She's long gone and everyone's looking to lock her up. She ain't gonna show her face anywhere around my school. And now that it's gonna open up officially next week we're gonna have one last Par-tah to kick it off!" With Pony Head's declaration Star jumped up off her bed and began dancing around with her friend in celebration. 

"This is going to be so much fun, I can't wait to see what it looks like now." Star said, visions of destroyed walls and broken chains in her mind as she gleefully ripped apart her mental image of what St. Olga's had represented to her. 

"Oh it ain't much different." Pony Head explained, stopping the dancing. "That's why it's gonna open in a week so they can get it all fixed up and junk. But until then we get to tear it up as much as we want!" The girls cheered together in unison at the idea of tearing downing their previous symbol of oppression. "So you invited everyone right B-fly?" 

"You know it! Janna's coming and so's Jackie and Starfan said she'd definitely come." Even if it was a princess party that didn't mean they couldn't invite others to stop in and have a good time. Besides many of the girls wanted to meet more people from Earth since that was where Princess Marco was from. 

"Can always rely on you, girl. So Earth Turd, you managed to bring us some cute boys, right?" Pony Head asked Marco who was currently flipping through his phone while the girls had been celebrating the upcoming party. 

"I have two male friends and there's one guy I sort of know, but they all agreed to show up." Marco explained still sounding as deadpan as ever. Pony Head wasn't so satisfied with that answer as she got closer to him. 

"Marco, I promised to bring some hot Earth boys to this party and these girls are looking to mingle. You're gonna come through for me, right?" 

"Well uh... two of them managed to court a queen before."

"Really!?" Pony Head actually looked impressed. "Well it looks like I misjudged you for once." 

"For once?" Marco repeated with sarcasm. Though his description got Star thinking. 

"Hey Marco, you don't mean Ferguson and Alfonzo do you?" They didn't quite meet Star's standards of "cute boys" that Pony Head might have been looking for. Sensing her apprehension Marco moved on to his last candidate. 

"This other guy is a musician! Girls love that kind of stuff right? Bards and guys that can serenade and things like that?" Marco quickly explained to change the topic but Pony Head wasn't so sure. 

"Musician huh? What's he play? If it's a lute then forget it, I don't need another one of those lame princes playing Wonder Falls all night."

"It's a keytar." Marco explained which impressed Pony Head again.

"Keytar huh? Well I guess that's kinda different than every other loser out there. Sure, they're in." Despite Pony Head's approval that description got a reaction from Star again. 

"Keytar... Marco, did you invite Oskar?" The Mewni princess asked with some hesitation. Though Marco couldn't understand why. 

"Yeah, I thought you'd be excited that I did. Once I told him we were going to another dimension for a party he was all for it." Marco explained. 

"Oh well, yeah I guess that does make sense." 

"Was that not okay?" Marco asked, a tone of concern in his voice as Pony Head watched on with unusual quiet for the outspoken princess. 

"No no, it's fine. I mean, it's great! It's great that Oskar's gonna be there too. Thank you for inviting him for me." Star reassured with a smile and nod. Marco nodding back in approval. 

"Of course, I've always got my bestie's back." As if on cue the doorbell rang out to let the three friends know that the rest of their entourage had arrived. "Looks like they're right on time, I'll go get the door to let everyone in." Star and Pony Head agreed to his decision and Marco exited the room quickly to go greet everyone. As the two princesses started to follow after them Pony Head was giving Star a knowing gaze. 

"What? What is it? Do I have something on my face?" Star asked as she felt around her cheeks. 

"You and this Oskar guy a thing, B-fly?" Pony Head inquired. 

"Oh no, no we're not a thing or anything like that. I mean I sorta had a crush on him..." 

"HAD a crush on him?" 

"Have. I like... have a crush on him, y'know? I just haven't seen him for a while so I'm nervous is all." Star said, rubbing her arm and looking towards the stairs that lead down to where their friends were gathering for the party. "Can we talk about this later?" 

"Hey if you're cool with everything, I'm cool with everything, for real. I'm just making sure you're actually cool, cool?" 

"Cool." Star said with a forced smile and a thumbs up.

"Alright then..." She didn't truly seemed convinced that there wasn't still something up with her friend, but she wasn't going to pry further if Star didn't want her to. "Then let's get this party started!" With that Pony Head zipped down the stairs leaving a trail of glittery sparkles in the air behind her. Once she was gone Star took a second to collect herself and proceeded after her, getting ready to see her friends. 

As she descended the stairs everyone was gathered together already, Janna and Starfan were discussing what this Princess School/Prison must have been like before it got liberated and Alfonzo and Ferguson were currently being grilled by Pony Head to see if they truly measured up to her standards for this event. Off to the corner was Oskar, he didn't seem to really notice anyone as he was tapping out sounds on his keytar, seemingly already passed Pony Head's inspection for "hot Earth boys". In the past Star's gaze would have been locked on the musician and him alone, having him in her home where she could get as close with him as she wanted. But that wasn't where her eyes had gone first. Instead she'd caught a glimpse of Marco and Jackie sharing a quick kiss before splitting apart so Marco could defend his position on inviting his two male friends and Jackie could catch up on Janna's conversation. The kiss had only been for an instant and had she hesitated just a little longer she wouldn't have caught it. But she had and without realizing it had stopped in her tracks at the top of the stairs. 

"Star, are you coming?" Marco called out and that broke her out of her stupor. Blinking a few times as her mind came back to reality Star nodded and began descending the stairs again. 

"Yeah, right here! Right on time!" Star called out with enthusiasm as she landed on the first floor. "Are we all set to go?"

"I guess so." Pony Head grumbled, deciding it was too late to replace Al and Ferg with anyone else they might be able to find. "Yo, Janna my girl! Keytar-boy, it's time to get goin'!" Everyone gathered together to get ready for the interdimensional travel. As they did Janna nudged up against Star and whispered in her ear. 

"You must be pretty excited, right? I heard Marco went out of his way to find Oskar so he could get him to come along." 

"Yeah... yeah, it's really nice of him to do that for me." Star agreed, unable to not notice Marco's hand go around Jackie's hip as they grouped up together. 

She really should be grateful to him. Oskar hadn't been around school in who knew how long so finding him probably wasn't easy to do. Still despite the effort he'd put in for her she couldn't help but be reminded about the effort she'd put in for him and seeing the results right in front of her. After pining for Jackie Lynn Thomas for so long Marco was finally not just friends with her but in a relationship. Something that Star had helped play a role in putting together herself and encouraging him to go for with all his might. Now he'd succeeded and not only did they both seem happy together but they were an undeniably cute couple. 

Naturally neither of them had mentioned their past sexual experiments Star and Marco had shared together to Jackie. Having agreed it was a private matter between them and it wouldn't have done any good to tell anyone else. Not only that, neither had attempted anymore intimate moments like last time they'd been together physically since Marco began dating Jackie. Star had wanted to respect their relationship, but it wasn't like Marco had been neglecting her at all since he started dating Jackie. In fact he probably still spent more time with Star than with his own girlfriend. Still seeing them together pulled at her heart somehow, forcing her to remember her own words she'd spoken to him in the past like a personal mantra. She didn't want a relationship right now with the kind of man she'd want to marry. She wanted to explore and adventure and party, to do all the things she could while she was still young before she had to become an adult. Most importantly she had said out loud that she wanted these things for him too.

This was what was best for both of them. They needed to enjoy their youth. To be happy. To be free.

Marco used the dimensional scissors to cut open a portal in their living room large enough for everyone to pile through together. With a few steps the teenagers were out of the Diaz household and into what looked like the most bizarre rave party the regular Earth goers had ever seen. For Star and Marco it wasn't much different from the day they'd left St. Olga's. There were princesses of all shapes, sizes and races dancing in the courtyard of the building while magical laser lights fired off into the sky and music played over loud speakers. The only difference this time was instead of the party resulting from a revolution and mass destruction it was being lead by a DJ on a stage along with several other staff members that had been brought along to keep the party stocked with age appropriate refreshments and accessories. Also interestingly there were a number of males in the group and by their attire it was safe to assume they may have been royalty too. 

"Whoa. This is far out." Oskar said aloud as he took in the sight of everything around him, having only been exposed to Star's magical chaos back on Earth in the briefest of moments. Sensing a moment of praise, Pony Head was there to accept it. 

"Don't you know it! This is a final bash for all the independent princesses out there, so we're goin' all out! C'mon, let me get you guys hooked up." Everyone followed along with Pony Head as she lead them past the dancing mass of people and towards a table nearby where a sloth man was waiting with a dull expression on his face.

"Welcome to the St. Olga's Princess Marco Celebration Party, do you have your tickets?" The sloth man asked, slowly, eyes glazed over with the look of a man who'd given up on life long ago. The party around him may as well not even be existing.

"Oh they're on the list." Pony Head explained matter-of-factually. "Wrist bands and balloons all around, kay? Kay." The sloth man gave a sigh of contempt, leaned over and pulled up an actual list from behind the table. Flipping through a few pages and ignoring the looks of impatience from the teenagers before him he eventually landed on a page.

"Name please?" 

"Princess. Pony. Head." Princess Pony Head answered with great irritation. "The girl paying you to be here in the first place!"

"...first name?" The sloth man asked, possibly out of contempt or a true lack of any care in the world. Though his expression changed when he suddenly found himself at the point of the magical horn atop Pony Head's brow. 

"Skewering! Skewering Princess Ponyhead!" 

"Right! Right, that's right here on the list! Let me get you all set up." After a short display of force the sloth man was more than willing to help everyone that came before him. Attaching a wrist band to the left hand of everyone present and providing a different colored balloon attached to the right. While everyone was still enamored with what was going on around them with the party Marco was observing the balloons curiously. 

"So you actually hired Quest Buy employees to host your party?" He asked Pony Head in disbelief.

"They came cheap and daddy didn't want to give me a whole lot of money for this party, despite it being like the MOST important part of our grand opening. I mean can you believe it? Like teacher's need that much of a salary anyway. They're just repeating stuff that's already written down." Marco didn't feel like arguing the merits of education with someone that thought of fashion magazines as required reading material for a well rounded life.

"Uh-huh. And the balloons?" 

"Oh, those? They came free so now it's a big ol' balloon party." Now that he took note of it there were a lot of people out among the rave dancing with balloons attached to them. "Check it out, you can even draw on yours if you want." Hearing a chance to decorate Star jumped at the opportunity. 

"Ooh, I wanna draw something!" The princess said enthusiastically as she approached the table with multiple colored pens. 

"Yeah, let me in on it too." Janna said and followed along, soon getting everyone to decorate their balloons together. After a few minutes of talking it over and deciding what they wanted everybody did a big reveal of their artwork. Star stepping up to the plate to lead the way. "Okay okay, since this was a big day out I decided to do all of us together!" Star showed off her balloon with cartoony faces of everyone that had come from Earth together, which got a happy reaction out of the whole group.

Marco stood up next to reveal his grand artwork. "Since we're all representing Earth tonight and especially Echo Creek, I decided to use the mascot we all hold dear." 

"A slab of beef?" Star asked confused, catching Marco off guard.

"What, no, it's a-"

"That little pizza guy!" Jackie blurted out next. "From the pizza restaurant, y'know. The 'pizza pizza' thing." Everyone nodded in agreement, seeing it together. Everyone despite Marco. 

"No, it's not a pizza guy. It's not a guy at all, it's a-" 

"Possum?" Ferguson offered. 

"No, it's not a-" Marco stopped for a moment. "No wait actually yeah, yeah it is. Our school mascot at Echo Creek Academy." 

"Really!?" Janna asked looking it over for the third time. "How can you tell?" 

"Because I drew one too." Ferguson answered, showing off his balloon with a much more highly detailed and easy to decipher picture. His balloon earning him a round of compliments and Star reassuring Marco that it wasn't that bad, even if it did look like a slab of ugly steak. Jackie had decided to keep it simple and just put a seashell on her balloon to match her necklace. Janna predictably put something on hers that was reminiscent of the kinds of symbols Marco had seen in Tom's bedroom but not quite accurate enough to be dangerous. Starfan had naturally drawn Star on hers and Alfonzo had drawn a picture of Pony Head in honor of her inviting them, much to her ego's enjoyment. However that left one person out. 

"Hey Oskar, what did you draw?" Star asked curiously as he was putting on the finishing touches of his balloon. 

"Oh, just my name." 

"Just... your name? Really?" 

"Yeah, I figure that'll be easier for people to know who I am when I get up on stage to play next to the DJ." It seemed he'd already had a plan of action for the night involving fame and the use of his music to catch some adoring fans. Assuming the kind of sounds that caused repulsion in the general Earth populace would go over well with the princesses. "Yours is cool though, you're a really good artist." 

"Oh, well... thanks a lot." Star said with a small smile, appreciating the compliment. 

"By the way, Mango?" Oskar asked allowed, causing confusion among the group until everyone realized he was looking at Marco.

"You mean me?" 

"Yeah, Mango, that hairy guy said this was St. Olivia's Princess Marco something or other? Do you have like, a sister who's a princess?" The question suddenly brought attention of the name of the party to everyone around them. Janna being the first to jump on information about Marco that she somehow didn't know about got all up in Marco's face with curiosity. 

"Whoa, are you saying you had a secret sister this whole time and you kept it from all of us? Was she like from a previous marriage with your mom or dad or something? Is she adopted? What kind of kingdom does she rule over?" Marco pushed Janna back to a more comfortable distance, never wanting to let her get too close unless you wanted to lose the contents of your pockets.

"Back off, alright! There's no secret sister. You're all looking at the one true Princess Marco right here." All of Marco's friends went wide eyed, making him feel pretty proud of himself. "Matter of fact it was your's truly along with some rebel princesses that made this place into the party central it is today." Marco bragged as he stood next to Star and Pony Head to show off their accomplishment. "Pretty cool right? We're basically the founders of a revolution." 

"Mango's a girl?" Oskar suddenly asked with true sincerity. 

"What!? No that's not at all what I said at-." Despite his protest everyone was already weighing the options. Al and Ferg looking at each other for some sort of clue. 

"He's been in the boys locker room before..." Al said trying to reason this out. 

"But he's always wearing a towel around his chest and like, I've never looked you know." Ferguson retorted. Janna was racking her brain at the sudden new information. 

"No way Marco is a girl AND a princess! I always thought he looked kind of soft for a boy but I didn't think he was like... girly soft!" She suddenly looked to Jackie for confirmation. "He's not right? You'd know better than anybody." Jackie went wide eyed at the question and saw all eyes had fallen on her, putting her hands up in a panic. 

"That's kind of a personal question to ask don't you think!? We only started dating a while ago!"

"Well I haven't checked for sure, he would never let me!" Janna yelled back.

"I'll check right now if you want." Starfan offered gleefully and Marco took safety behind Star Original from prodding hands. 

"Let's clarify something here." Marco said. "I am a man!" He declared with a result of sighs of relief and groans of disappointment from various parties that had been curious. 

"That's right, he's 100% a cutey-boy." Star said firmly to back Marco up. 

"You couldn't have also said I was a man too?" Marco asked disappointed but Star shook her head with a smile. 

"Nope, cause you're clearly a cutey-boy." Star said in reply and pinched his cheek while giggling, causing him to flail at her teasing fingers. Though it opened up a question for Pony Head that she seemed to be waiting on the chance to ask. 

"Oh yeah, B-Fly? How do you know for sure that Earth Turd ain't just a girl hiding under a hoodie?" Those words caused the playful actions between the two friends to stop cold, both of them suddenly looking as if they'd been caught red handed in the middle of a crime. Star's hands removed themselves from Marco quickly as they struggled for a reply. 

"Uh... well... y'know just... look at him!" Star said. "Boy, obviously boy." 

"Yep, obviously a boy." Marco agreed. "No need for checking here, total confirmation." Their nervousness got a few odd glances, particularly from Janna and Pony Head. Though Jackie was kind enough to ease the tension and sauntered up to Marco with a kiss on the cheek. 

"Well if you're not a boy then you really fooled me." She said with a laugh, breaking the tension for nearly everyone around them. "So what's this revolution stuff about anyway? I wanna hear that story." 

"Oh you're not gonna believe it, let's get going and I'll tell you guys all about it." Marco said as the group made their way towards the party. As they did though the two royal members of their entourage lagged behind for a brief chat. 

"You still cool, B-fly?" Pony Head asked with a questioning look. 

"Hm?" Star responded, having been lost in thought after she'd forced herself to stop making so much physical contact with Marco. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm cool. Totally cool." 

"...alright then, cool." Pony Head agreed with resignation in her voice.

 

After the explanation of how and why Princess Marco came to be a thing there was more understanding among his friends and less debate over his gender. Though Janna still wasn't allowed to double check no matter how many times she asked. As they walked around the party Marco was stopped every so often to give autographs to his adoring fans, unused to the praise but happy to be an inspiration to so many young girls that had previously thought their individuality didn't matter. It didn't hurt that this seemed to impress Jackie at the same time. Even Pony Head backed off on her usual slew of insults and teasing on Marco's behalf while he was among the public. 

Shortly after getting the run down on how things worked everyone began to split off to see what they could find to do at the party. Alfonzo and Ferguson had made their way into the crowd of princesses from other dimensions looking to see if their status of being friends with Marco and being from Earth might net them more popularity than it had back home. Janna had also wanted to go see what was up with all these trouble causing princesses, Marco having last seen her engaged in a conversation about the best ways to pick locks if you happened to find yourself trapped in a tower or just wanted to break into someone's house. Jackie had wanted to see more of the school after having heard Marco's story, finding it fascinating compared to what was essentially just a party happening outside. Pony Head and Starfan accompanied them since the princess had wanted to brag about all the changes she'd helped put into effect and Starfan was hoping to get some real princess attire for her own personal collection. 

Oskar had decided he was going to get into the party as well, looking for a chance to try and get up on stage as soon as he could. Marco had suggested to Star that this could be her chance to go hang out with him and get to know him better but oddly enough she decided to stay with him. He didn't really understand why, it seemed like Star hated this place more than anything else in her life. Yet the whole time she kept pace with the group as they marveled at the destruction the princesses had set upon the school's interior. 

"There sure are a lot of posters." Starfan commented as they walked down a hall that was plastered with Marco's face all along it, pictures of him in his Princess attire and words scrawled in spray paint across the walls reading "It's not criminal to be an individual!". "Do you care if I take one home?"

"Knock yourself out." Pony Head offered, not very impressed with the decorations herself. "Yeah so, Earth Turd got to be the face of the revolution but lets not forget who really ran the show after you guys bounced outta here." 

"Didn't you try to leave as soon as you could once everyone started asking you for stuff?" Star asked, remembering clearly the last time Pony Head had come to visit her and her words on how those annoying girls wouldn't leave her alone. 

"Yeah, but I came back, so like the past is forgiven and junk." Pony Head rationalized. Meanwhile Jackie was also taking down a poster and rolling it up. "Girl, you want one of these things too? Don't you get enough of Earth Turd's face back home already?" 

"It's something special." Jackie said with a bright smile as she tucked the poster under her arm. "When are you going to get another chance to see your boyfriend on a propaganda poster in a princess dress?"

"I can still put him in that dress with my magic if you want." Star offered, causing Jackie's and Starfan's eyes to light up in excitement. 

"Really!? I kinda wanna see it." Jackie admitted with a bit of excitement. 

"Do it do it do it wait!" Starfan cried out as she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone, turning on her camera. "Okay do it!" Marco grumbled but eventually agreed to go along with it, never having suspected he'd be forced to put the dress on again in front of people he knew. Star stepped back and cast her magic on Marco, causing a flash of light and a reveal of the young princess who's face surrounded them on the walls of the hall they stood in. Starfan squealed in delight seeing him. "Ohmygosh he looks like a real princess." 

"Whoa." Jackie said in disbelief, walking up to Marco to feel the fabric of his dress and the new length of hair that had sprouted from his head. "He really does look like a princess."

"Yeah yeah..." Marco grumbled aloud. "Heard it before, 'pink is my color' and all that. Just glad Janna's not here to see this right now." 

"Don't worry about that." Pony Head said gleefully as she floated behind Starfan who was filming all of this with her phone. "We'll be sure to show her all of this later." Marco stuck his tongue out at the camera but it didn't do much to dissuade Jackie's opinion of his appearance. 

"Seriously Marco, you're prettier than some of the girls at our school." The compliment got a blush out of the boy's cheeks that just reaffirmed her position on his appearance. After a moment of uncomfortable silence he spoke up again. 

"Okay so... Star is it okay to change me back?" 

"Are you sure?" Star asked curiously. "I bet everyone would be pretty excited to see the real Princess Marco make an appearance. Plus Jackie's right, you're in the top ten of cuties at Echo Creek." 

"I know, right?" Jackie agreed. "Is that the magic doing that or is it just his face?" 

"Nope, like I said before he's just 100% a cutey-boy." Star said proudly with a smile on her face. It dropped quickly however when Jackie suddenly stepped up to Marco and kissed him on the lips, retreating afterwards with a shy smile. 

"Well... I guess that's the closest I'm ever going to come to kissing a girl." She said with a small laugh. There was a long pause afterwards, Starfan and Ponyhead watching through the camera lens of her phone's picture as it focused on their faces staring at each other. Until Starfan moved the camera to look at Star herself who was watching with an expression of shock. Utilizing her talents at being the center of attention, Pony Head was the first to break the silence with her voice. 

"Say B-fly, maybe you should change Earth Turd back now before he gets mobbed by his 'fans' or whatever."

"Riiiiight." Star agreed as she walked up to Marco and gave him a tap on the head, his outfit returning back to the jeans and hoodie he'd come to the party in. Marco agreed it was better to be back into his normal clothing, even if the dress was kind of comfortable to wear. 

"Well now that I've got recorded proof for everyone that I've been in a dress, what do you guys wanna do next?"

"I wanna see more of the places you told me about in the story." Jackie admitted. "Can you give me a tour of the school?" There was an upward tone to her voice, a batting of her lashes as she asked the question. The kind of moves the other girls easily recognized but left Marco completely oblivious as to why he suddenly felt a thump in his heart when she spoke like that. 

"S-sure! Sure thing, yeah, let's uh... let's do it." Marco agreed and took Jackie's hand, heading down the hallway to travel deeper into the school. "Are you guys coming too?" 

"Ya'll can go do whatever you like." Pony Head said without looking up, using her magical horn to float her own phone in front of her. "We'll see you later or some junk." At the moment she was too focused on getting Starfan to share the video she'd just taken so she would have a copy too. "Oh you should send it to Janna too, that girl's gonna freak when she see's this." 

"Okay, Star do you want it too? I can send it now if you want!" Starfan offered eagerly to the object of her obsession. However when she looked up was horrified to find that the princess wasn't around. "Star?" 

"Star? B-fly?" Pony Head asked finally looking up as well, seeing that Star had completely vanished from their sight when they'd been occupied. "Star, where you at!?" 

 

"It doesn't look how I expected." Jackie said aloud as she observed the chair in the middle of the room. "I was thinking it would be more... I dunno, medieval? Menacing? This looks like a fancy barber's chair." 

"I'm honestly surprised it's still intact considering how the rest of this place looks." Marco responded as he looked the chair over. The shackles that had once held him in place were open, awaiting new wrists to confine. A set of restraints that were once used in tandem with a mind control device and projector to manipulated the personalities of young girls into becoming "proper princesses". "Personally it would have been the first thing I would have destroyed." Jackie looked up to see the shattered window with its still jagged edges that lead to the control room where the device would have been deployed from. Much like a normal projection booth only with far more sinister intentions. Beyond that little destruction there wasn't much else broken. The poster Jackie had collected was sitting on one of the tables in the room, rolled up and tied into place with the balloon strings Marco and Jackie had removed from their wrists to make walking easier. 

"You have a lot of bad memories of this room, huh?" Jackie asked as she looked the chair over more closely, noticing the shackles on the armrests could be secured again with a simple sliding pin that was attached to the mechanism. 

"I wasn't in here for very long but it wasn't pleasant." Marco admitted. "I mean I got like... what maybe ten minutes at most of being exposed to their forced brainwashing stuff? Eyes pried open and head locked into place, forced to watch a screen against my will. It was bad but some of the girls here... who knows how many times they went through that." Marco shivered a bit at the thought. "It's okay for me though, Star saved me before anything really bad could happen."

"She does that a lot huh?" Jackie said thoughtfully. "You guys really are an amazing team, you know. Going on adventures and saving people. It must be exciting." Marco rubbed the back of his head in a bashful manner, often having difficulty with compliments coming from Jackie. 

"We get into a lot of trouble too so I think that evens it out." Marco laughed nervously. "But yeah she's really amazing, a princess that can do pretty much anything she sets her mind to. I owe her a lot when I think about it." Marco said with a thoughtful sigh. "Well other than the prison cells and the weird demonic chamber we found that one time, I'm not sure there's much else to see. But we could go check them out if you-" Marco was cut off however as Jackie approached him and pressed her lips against his own, her arms gently wrapping around his body to hold him. It was a surprising action but not unwelcome as he soon after returned the favor, holding her in his own arms and kissing her in return happily. 

He'd expected her to stop shortly after as Jackie had never minded displaying affection with Marco but wasn't often physically direct with him. Kissing and hugging were okay but he found she enjoyed just spending time near each other a lot more valuable when they were together. A thoughtful girl that put a lot of stock in emotional connections and understanding. To the point she told Marco she'd like to get to where they could read each other's minds and he was only half sure she'd been joking. But she didn't cease as her hands went up to his hair and she deepened the kiss with him. He still didn't know why this was happening but like most teenage boys he wasn't going to stop his girlfriend from a sudden burst of desire they wanted to act upon. 

After a few moments longer of deep kissing Jackie broke it apart and rested her head on his shoulder, rubbing her cheek against his own. It was warm and soft and encouraged him to hug her with an extra little squeeze at the feeling. "Marco." Jackie whispered into his ear, breath hot and voice low so that it nearly made his legs shake. "I'm sorry bad things happened to you here." 

"It's okay." Marco said as he stroked her back lightly, still catching his breath from the passionate exchange earlier. "Really, in the end it helped people, so I don't mind it." 

"I know, but... I still don't like that bad things happened to you." Jackie admitted and leaned her head against his own as her chin rested on his shoulder. Marco leaned back and couldn't suppress the smile on his face. 

"I'm pretty tough despite looking good in a dress." Marco said jokingly, happy that he got a little laugh out of her. "Thank you though, I'm glad that you care about me."

"Well yeah, I'm your girlfriend silly. I want the best for you." She said happily and removed herself from leaning against his body so they could look at each other eye to eye. "So uh... There was something I wanted to do." 

"Oh?" Marco asked as he swallowed a lump in his throat, not sure what the request could possibly be but at this point he was ready to do anything for her. 

"Yeah, you see if you have bad memories of a place then I think you can sometimes get rid of them by replacing them with good ones." She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Marco's, noses touching but she kept talking normally despite the extreme close quarters. "Like with some help you can get into someone's mind to help heal it. Do you think so too?" 

"I uh... I guess I never thought about it. But I don't see why not, I've never heard of that being something that was dis-proven before?" He'd actually never heard of this idea at all before but why not see where she was going with this. Besides Marco believed Jackie had an interest when it came to connecting with people in unique ways.

"Good, so if you trust me then can I ask you to do something?" 

"Anything." 

"Get in the chair." With those words Marco felt like a crushing weight had fallen on his stomach, freezing him in place and unable to move. It took him a second to even respond to her after that request. 

"Get... get in the chair?" Marco asked and Jackie nodded. "That chair?" Jackie nodded again, her face scrunching nervously at her request. "The torture chair?" 

"If you don't want to you don't have to but I just-" Jackie began but Marco shook his head and stopped her.

"I trust you." He said and walked over to the chair, taking a deep breath as he looked it over. In the past he'd been thrown into it and held down, arms restrained against his will. Now he was about to sit in it of his own choice at the request of the girl he loved. Slowly he lowered himself down into the seat. The chair wasn't especially comfortable but it still accommodated him well enough. Once he was sitting down Jackie walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you feel okay?" She asked with concern, having been visually upset earlier in the party when Marco had explained what had been done to him before in this place by Heinous. Marco nodded to let her know he was keeping it together still. "Okay, good." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. "I'm going to do something else next and you can tell me to stop when you're ready, okay?"

"A-alright? What are you going to do?" 

"I'm going to lock you into the chair." Marco took a deep and uncomfortable breath at the idea of it but slowly nodded after bracing himself. Carefully Jackie put the shackles around Marco's arms, sliding the pins into place so he wouldn't be able to escape from his seat. Once she was done Marco struggled a little to see if they'd hold and found the restraints were just as effective as they'd been in the past. "Okay, can't move?" 

"Nope, I'm completely at your mercy." Marco said with a nervous laugh. 

"Yeah, I guess you are." Jackie said and leaned forward with a devious smile. "Like this I could do anything I wanted. There wouldn't be any way you could stop me either, huh?" 

"I... I guess not?" Marco responded now beginning to wonder if he'd made a terrible mistake. 

"Good. I got you all to myself and nobody else." Jackie said gleefully and walked over to the door they'd come through to get into the room, locking it so they couldn't be disturbed. The loud sound of the "click" as the deadbolt turned in the silent room made Marco jump a little. Jackie returned shortly after. "Sorry I just wanted to be sure we had some privacy." She added with a little laugh and looked away. "So um... there's something I've kinda thought about doing for a while but I wasn't sure if it would be okay?" 

"You didn't think it would be okay?" At this point the fear had left in place of general confusion. Jackie was normally very assured with herself and her decisions. He admired her honesty and self confidence a lot as a person. She rarely showed indecision of this level. 

"Yeah, I wanted to do this but I thought you might think... less of me if I did." Jackie admitted nervously. 

"Jackie, hey, listen to me." Marco said and drew her gaze back to his eyes. "I love you. Heck you know what, I respect you. So much I let you take me back to a place I was tortured and lock me back up again. That is how much I trust you. I'm not going to think less of you." 

"Really!?" Jackie asked hopefully and Marco nodded. "Oh good, then I'm not going to worry anymore." Jackie admitted and suddenly began to take her shirt off. 

It was at this moment Marco immediately became grateful to everything Miss Heinous had done to him in the past that lead them to here and now.

"W-whoa." Marco said as Jackie cast her shirt aside, wearing a white bra underneath.

"I know white is kind of plain but I just never really thought about getting sexy underwear before we got together." Jackie admitted. "You like it still?" 

"Yeah, it's really cute." Like it? That was not the word that actually fit his opinion. Cute didn't do it justice either. Having never seen this much of her exposed body before Marco was ecstatic and was doing his very best to play it cool. 

"Okay so... here comes the next part." Jackie prepared as she seemed to be psyching herself up for this plan of hers. Reaching behind her back she unclasped the straps of her bra and let them go loose, moving her hands to cover her chest. Slowly as she gathered her courage she let her chest be exposed to a very happy Marco. "Um... like, 'Tah-dah' or whatever. My boobs." She said trying to be lighthearted about the whole ordeal. "I've got freckles on my chest too so I hope that doesn't bother you." 

"Not at all." Marco said as he struggled to look but not leer at the pair of lovely breasts before him. "I mean... they're perfect, just like the rest of you." 

"Marco, I'm not perfect."

"Well I guess then you're just really beautiful?" He replied getting a big smile out of his girlfriend. 

"You're a sweetheart. Okay, I feel a lot better about doing this now. Are you ready for the next part?" Marco nodded enthusiastically, not sure what the next part could be but knew wherever this was going he wanted to be a part of it. "Okay, prepare yourself." Approaching Marco Jackie very carefully positioned herself to sit onto his lap. A pressure that was both welcomed by Marco and also terribly teasing with the fabric between the two of them. Taking her time Jackie adjusted her body onto the chair so she was sitting sideways with her legs over one arm. "Okay... I think I got my balance." 

"You sure? I'm not going to be able catch you restrained like this if you fall and I don't want you to get hurt." Marco asked and Jackie just ruffled his hair and laughed. 

"You've got a topless girl sitting on your lap and your main concern is about her being safe?" Marco looked away embarrassed, having always been a bit self conscious about not being manly enough. Though he got another little kiss on the side of his head for the comment. "That's what I like about you 'Safe Kid'. You care about others."

"Hey, I might be the Safe Kid but I'm not gonna apologize for worrying about you." Marco said confidently. 

"Good, I don't want you to." Jackie replied and put her arms around Marco's head, leaning forward to hold him against her breasts. They were soft and comforting, larger than Star's and with a noticeable amount of squishing as his head laid against them. To be honest it felt wonderful. "Okay, now I want you to relax." 

"Don't think that'll be possible." Marco said half jokingly from Jackie's cleavage. 

"Well then just try not to feel bad." Jackie said and began to stroke his hair. "You're in the bad room where they did bad things to you. In the chair where they tried to hurt you. How do you feel right now?" The hair petting was actually very soothing despite the raging hormones and emotions going on in Marco's body. He tried to let himself relax and rest against Jackie's chest, listening to her heart beat.

"Good." Marco said. 

"What else?" Jackie asked. 

"Excited." Marco replied honestly and Jackie laughed a little. 

"Okay, I can feel that too." She said, the pressure under her lap being pretty hard to ignore. "Any other feelings?" 

"...safe." Marco said and nuzzled his head into her chest. 

"Good. That's what I want you to feel instead of fear. I want you to feel safe." Marco nodded as he got his hair continually pet, letting out a deep sigh of relief and releasing his tension. She really felt wonderful being this close to.

"You're really warm and soft." Marco admitted. "Hey Jackie..." 

"Yeah?" 

"Thank you for doing this." Marco said and got a small hug in return. 

"You're welcome. I want to be able to do things for you too." She said happily. "You deserve it you know." 

"But you do so much for me already." Marco said feeling a bit of insecurity creep in. "You're so amazing and great and you're really smart. I mean you just... you just made me feel better about a place that was terrible for me. How could I ever do this much for you?" 

"Take me with you sometime on an adventure." Jackie asked, a request that surprised Marco enough to forget about cuddling into her breasts and look up at her face. 

"You want to come on an adventure with us?" 

"Sure... or even maybe just the two of us? Sometime? If that would be okay with you?" Jackie asked nervously. "I'd like to see the amazing things you see, I want to be part of that more, you know? Part of your life like that." 

"You know I've almost died like sixty percent of the adventures I've been on right?" Marco said seriously. 

"Well if it makes you feel better I'll gladly go with you on the other forty percent." Jackie replied, unshaken by his warning. Despite his better judgement of wanting to leave her out of some of the craziness that had become part of his life, Marco relented. 

"Okay... yeah, the next time we go out for one that I think will work, I'll call you." 

"Yes!" Jackie said happily and squeezed Marco's head against her chest. "Oh hey, are there interdimensional skate parks?" 

"I bet you we could find one. Just don't hold it against me if I bring my bike instead of a skateboard."

"Oh, I won't. Is there anything else you'd rather I hold against you?" Jackie asked in that voice that had made him come along with her to this room in the first place. The one that seemed to alter his way of thinking without him ever realizing. He of course looked at her chest and she smiled mischievously. "I already know it's a yes, I can feel your answer under my butt already." 

"It's not like I could help it." Marco said embarrassed. "You do that to me all the time without ever realizing it." 

"Oh yeah?" Jackie asked curiously. "Like how?" 

"Just... anything. A kiss or a hug... holding hands." 

"Holding hands is enough to get you that way?" Marco shrugged, not sure how to respond. "I sure picked a horn dog for a boyfriend." 

"It's cause I picked such a pretty girlfriend." Marco said in reply. There was a little bit of a silence as Jackie seemed to ponder something. 

"Marco... do you want me to help you with it?" 

"Help me with... 'that' you mean?" 

"If you don't it's okay cause, I don't want you to think I'm a slut or anything." Jackie said nervously. "I mean I'm already here tying you down and pushing my boobs in your face so I doubt you don't think that already, but-"

"You're not a slut." Marco cut her off. "Not at all. You can be with the person you love and that doesn't make you a slut." 

"Really?" Jackie asked, still unsure. "I mean I've thought about it before and I know what sex is, even if I've never done it but, I just didn't want you to have a bad opinion of me if I... wanted to try?"

"Well then am I slut because I'd like to try with my girlfriend too?" Marco asked, trying to reassure her. 

"You're not a girl, it's different." Jackie countered. 

"I'm a princess." Marco retorted.

"Yeah but you're a boy princess." 

"With a sweet girlfriend." 

"... you won't tell anyone right? Like brag about it?" 

"Never."

"Okay... I really think you're great." Jackie said as she kissed the top of his head and hopped off of his lap. Kneeling down in front of Marco she unzipped his hoodie to spread it open and began to undo his belt buckle and pants. After some help between the two working together she was able to pull them off, along with Marco's boxers to reveal just how much of an effect she'd had on him. "Wow." Jackie commented as she lightly put her fingers around his cock. 

"Is... this okay?" Marco asked, not really sure what her expectation was going to be of him exposed like this but she didn't seem unhappy. 

"I've never been this close to one before." She said curiously as she stroked her fingers around his cock. "Does this feel good?" 

"Y-yeah! Yeah it feels really good." Marco admitted through heavy breathing, Jackie smiling at him as her hand began to get more comfortable with the idea of her actions. Her fingers wrapping around him to stroke up and down slowly as she watched his face. 

"I've got you held down and in the palm of my hand." Jackie said teasingly. "How does that make you feel?" 

"Excited." Marco said through heavy breaths. 

"Good. You make really cute faces you know." 

"Y-you're teasing me now." Marco complained but didn't struggle, focusing on holding back while she explored his body. 

"Not yet I'm not." Lifting her hand up Jackie played with the head of his cock against her palm, watching Marco squirm and feeling the sticky, wet excitement build at the tip. "Do you want me to try something else?" 

"I-I'm tied down... you can d-do whatever you want." Marco admitted and Jackie nodded, liking that idea of control and permission to do as she please. Moving forward she lifted her head over Marco's lap and took a breath. Opening her mouth she moved her head down to take Marco's cock into her lips, letting it slide against her tongue and taste the skin. She seemed unsure of her movements but soon found a comfortable way to bob her head against his lap, sucking at him strongly before pulling her mouth off of him to breath and returning to stroking with her hand. 

"Was that good?" She asked curiously. 

"It was great!" Marco answered more enthusiastically than intended but very honest. Though the truth made Jackie happy to hear. 

"I'm glad. It was different than what I thought it would be like but I think I can do it okay." Moving back into position Jackie opened her mouth wide and took in Marco's cock, slowly sucking up and down again. Marco suddenly found himself thinking about Star and the first time they'd done this together. She'd had more practice, more time to learn how to do it in a comfortable and efficient way. Jackie was clearly new to her actions but Marco still enjoyed the feeling of her closing her mouth and sucking the entire length of his cock for as long as she could. Enough that he could feel the pressure building. 

"J-Jackie." 

"Mmm?" She asked, mouth still full. 

"I'm gonna cum." That news made Jackie suddenly go wide eyed as she took her mouth away from Marco's cock and looked up at him. 

"Oh. Um do... do I keep sucking or...?"

"If you do it'll end up filling you mouth." The idea of getting a mouthful of Marco's cum this early into her sexual exploration seemed unnerving to her as she hesitated to move. "Or you can just use your hand if you want." 

"Oh, okay." Gripping his cock with her fingers again she found it was much easier to rub him after having coated him with her saliva. Her hand moved quickly in much faster motions than before without any slow build up. Marco's body twitched and struggled in the chair and Jackie watched his face intently before letting out a shout of surprise when he suddenly started to cum, the white substance shooting from his cock and landing on her chest and chin along with his legs. Despite the surprise Jackie continued to stroke him, wanting to be sure he finished. In fact long after he'd already cum Jackie was still rubbing him. 

"That's good! That's good... I'm... I'm spent." Marco said, feeling a bit of stress as she continued to pull at him long after the orgasm had past. Jackie let him go and looked herself over, rubbing off some of the cum that had landed on her chin. "Sorry if I made a mess..."

"Do you like how I look?" Jackie asked curiously. 

"I... I always like how you look." Marco replied honestly but that wasn't what she was after. 

"I mean like this... messy? Do you like how I look when I'm messy like this?" Jackie asked, rubbing a bit of his cum over her breasts on the area where it had landed.

"I uh... well..." Marco looked away, feeling embarrassed. "Are you going to think I'm a pervert if I say it looks really hot?" 

"Will you call me one if I say I like having it on my skin?" She asked, standing up in front of him. "It feels kind of weird, warm but gooey. But it's not bad." 

"We can do it again sometime if you like?" Marco suggested through heavy panting to catch his breath and Jackie giggled. 

"I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?" She added and undid Marco's shackles, letting him stand up from the chair. He stretched out his back a bit with a crack and Jackie went to pick up her bra and shirt. Before she could though Marco took her by the hand. 

"Hold on now, what about your turn?" He asked and Jackie blinked in surprise. 

"My turn?" 

"Yeah, your turn. In the chair." Jackie looked between Marco and the chair and blushed more than he'd ever seen her before. 

"You... you want to do that with me... in the chair?"

"Well yeah, it's not fair if I'm the only one that gets something special." Marco thought she'd be excited at the chance but Jackie wasn't making eye contact with him. "I mean... if you don't want to that's okay. No reason for you to do something that makes you uncomfortable." 

"It's not that..." Another reason occurred to Marco and he thought he understood.

"Oh well... I mean, I guess bad timing for the month and all but you don't have to feel bad about that. It's natural."

"It's not that!" Jackie said and gave him a soft punch in the arm. "I'm surprised you'd even think of that."

"Well I'm not ignorant about what girls have to go through." Marco admitted, it not being a subject he had extensively studied but he was aware of what a period was. "If it's none of those things then what's wrong?" 

"I just... don't want you doing it because you feel like you're obligated. If you don't really want to." Jackie confessed, but Marco took her other hand in his and when she looked him in the eyes again he gave her a kiss on the lips. 

"It's because I want to. And I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel." 

"Really?" Jackie asked hopefully. "Well... you're cooler than other guys Marco. I know some who think it's gross." 

"Then they don't know what they're missing." He admitted and led Jackie to the chair, sitting her down where he'd been just moments ago. 

"I'm also surprised you kissed me after I gave you a blow job." 

"Hey, it was me that you gave it to. Not like I don't know who your lips were touching." 

"No kidding, you're still all over me after all." Jackie said and rubbed some of Marco's cum against her skin between her breasts. The combination of the act combined with the look she gave him froze Marco in place for a moment. 

"Jeez, you're really good at doing that to me..." Marco mumbled which just made Jackie feel proud of herself. He guided her hands into the restraints next and locked her in place. 

"Wow, these things are snug. I really can't get away now." 

"If you're ever uncomfortable just tell me okay, I'll be sure to let you out of them." 

"Don't worry, I trust you." Jackie said, giving him back the line that he'd given her not long ago. Feeling reassured Marco undid Jackie's shorts and pulled them off, finding them a bit snug around her hips. Once they were cast aside he carefully removed her panties as well and gently coaxed her into spreading her legs apart for him to see what was between. "So... I bet you didn't expect to see all of this today, huh?" Jackie asked, trying to look cool despite being exposed and restrained in front of her boyfriend. 

"I can't say I did." Marco said as he knelt before Jackie and leaned forward. "But I'm thankful for every moment of it." His tongue moved out to lick over Jackie's pussy and she took in a sharp breath at the feeling, licking over the surface and around her inner thighs. As her breathing increased his tongue explored her further, licking up against her slit and teasing against her clit without applying too much pressure. 

"Oh my God." Jackie muttered as she breathed harder, watching Marco as he continued to lick between her legs and lap around her pussy to tease her. "Oh my God!" Feeling her body respond to the teasing Marco moved his arms up to help prop her legs apart and over his shoulders. Jackie responded by leaning her lower body forward towards him more as his tongue slipped inside of her, tracing along her inner walls. She could only pant as she felt herself being eaten out for the first time, her legs wrapping around his head as he continued to lick deeper inside of her. Marco looked upward to see her panting with her tongue hanging out, clearly enjoying the experience she was getting.

Even when he'd been taking her panties off Marco had noticed she was already wet, which made him all the happier to know she'd enjoyed being with him that much to get excited before they got started. Wanting to please her as much as he could Marco's hand moved in and inserted a finger into her pussy, getting an audible gasp from Jackie. Moving it back and forth he also licked upwards to her clit and began to lap in circles at her. He could feel her hips start to shake and took that as a sign to press forward. His finger curling up and rubbing inside while he sucked lightly at her clit. "M-Marco!" Jackie let out a cry as she came around his finger, her pussy dripping onto the chair even more than during their session together. Marco licked at her for a while longer before pulling away so that she could recover. His face was a mess with her juices and Jackie was leaning back against the chair, her chest heaving to catch her breath. 

"Getting to do that to your beautiful girlfriend. Yeah, those guys don't know what they're missing." Marco said with a smile as Jackie still struggled to catch her breath from her orgasm. He used his sleeve to clean off his mouth and chin from their sexual experience together and got to his feet to undo her shackles.

"Wait..." Jackie said before he could pull out the pin that held her in place. "Just... wait a second." Marco did as asked, watching her quietly recover before she could speak normally again. "In my shorts... pull out my wallet for me. There's something inside I want you to get." 

"Your wallet?" Marco asked curiously but complied with the request, reaching into the back pocket of her jean shorts and pulling out a pink wallet that had a flower patter stitched into the fabric. Unfolding it Marco looked inside to find about twenty dollars in cash and some change in one of the zipped up pockets. "There's just some money." 

"Look in the inside pocket." Jackie instructed and Marco slipped his fingers inside to feel around, finding some membership cards for different stores Jackie visited and something hiding underneath them. Folding the wallet closed again Marco came back with the other object in hand. Jackie looked at him shyly while he held onto the condom she'd brought with her. 

"This is what you wanted me to get?" Marco asked nervously and Jackie nodded. "Is it okay?" 

"You... still don't think I'm easy, right?" Jackie asked him. "If we do this? I just... I wanted my first time to be with you and right now I really... I really want to do it, Marco. Is it okay?" 

"I... want it to be with you too." Marco responded, the words choking in his throat a little. Thinking of all the times previously he'd come so close to doing something like this with Star. All the times the two of them had gotten close but never crossed that line. That's what made it okay, isn't it? That he never crossed that line with his friend but he could with his girlfriend. That's why they were all okay with each other, no matter what had happened in the past. Even if he still never intended to tell Jackie about all those times before. 

"Okay, I want to do it like this too." Jackie admitted and Marco nodded, unwrapping the condom and carefully slipping it onto himself. It was the first time he'd ever worn one and it felt a little weird but as long as it did its job he didn't really care. Taking off his hoodie Marco folded it up and put it behind Jackie's head, undoing the shackles on her arms so they could hug each other. "It's a little weird of an angle, huh?" She asked with a nervous smile.

"I think I can make it work." Marco said as he supported himself on the chair and lined himself up with Jackie. Pressing the tip against her pussy Marco locked eyes with her and pushed inside, causing her to gasp in surprise at the sudden entry. Slowly he pushed himself all the way in and stopped, looking at Jackie who nodded for him to continue. Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist he began to move in and out, slowly dragging himself against her inner walls. Jackie moaned eagerly as she enjoyed having her boyfriend penetrate her for the first time in her life. 

"You can go faster." Jackie whispered as Marco slowly increased his pace, Jackie's eyes closing as she winced to take in the new amount of friction inside her body. The whole experience was new to her but not unpleasant. She had said she'd wanted this after all and had meant it. As they worked into a rhythm Marco began to move faster, panting harder as he held onto the chair's back for support. The quiet room echoed with the sounds of their moaning together along with the wet noises of passionate sex. As much as she was enjoying it arching her back in the chair was getting rough and Jackie decided to try something else. "M-Marco! Marco stop! Stop a second..." 

"What! What, is everything okay!?" 

"Yeah... yeah it's good! But I want to try something else. Can you... um... pull out?" Marco stopped moving and slowly withdrew himself from Jackie, making her moan louder than he expected with the exit. "Oh wow! That's... Mm! Okay, how about this." Getting up off the chair Jackie got down onto her knees and rested her upper body on the seat of the chair, looking over her shoulder. "Do you want to try it this way?" 

"Yeah! Sure, we can!" Jackie giggled at his enthusiasm. She knew her behind was something he admired. She'd had as many guys in the past tell her she had a nice ass as she'd heard snide comments of other girls calling her fat ass. It didn't matter though, she knew she was in good shape and that her boyfriend loved her for who she was as much as what she looked like. Marco got on his knees behind her and guided himself inside again, slipping in with no resistance at all. 

"Oh my God!" Jackie let out as she felt him suddenly push in. "This is... this is good!" 

"Should I go fast?" 

"Mm-hm!" Jackie nodded as she rested her head on her arms, using the chair seat for support. She could feel Marco grip onto her hips and begin go move inside of her quickly, filling her up with each hard thrust inside. It felt a lot better than his finger, or even her own when she'd experimented with herself in the past. Marco seemed to be enjoying himself too as he panted harder, pushing into her more and more and hitting her deep each time with the position they were in. Jackie spread her legs apart further, just enough to allow him to get in deep without having to drop herself any lower to the ground. "Marco don't stop don't stop!" 

He didn't, not that he had intended too. Jackie felt him press hard into her, slapping noises echoing on the walls as their skin hit against each other over and over again. Despite having just endured one earlier from Marco's tongue Jackie wasn't able to hold out any longer and she let out a loud moan as her legs shook and she came for a second time. It felt good, even better than the previous one. Still with that Marco didn't stop, he didn't seem intent to until he'd reached his own climax. Jackie didn't mind however, she wanted to make sure he enjoyed it as much as her. 

"Jackie... I'm... I'm close..." Marco said between pants. 

"You can do it inside." She told him, having bought the condom exactly for that reason. With that permission she felt Marco suddenly get closer to her, wrapping an arm around her torso and cupping her breast. The closer position let him press right up against her and fuck her faster than before, Jackie letting out surprised and pleasant grunts feeling him push her this hard with his cock. Before long the moment finally came as she felt his body tense up and push into her, his cock cumming inside her pussy and cum being caught in the condom between them. She'd thought sex would have felt good but didn't realize how nice the sensation of someone cumming inside you was. With both of them exhausted Marco exited Jackie's body and sat down behind her. Jackie kept leaning on the chair for support but let her hips drop to the ground, both panting hard. 

Once they had caught their breath and minds were clear again Jackie helped Marco remove the condom from himself without causing a mess. She held up the filled plastic bag and looked at it between them. "Wow Diaz, you really gave it your all. That was your second one of the night too." Marco blushed and looked away, not used to Jackie being this sexual and teasing. 

"Well I had a break in between so... you know, I got a chance to recover." 

"But you just kept giving it to me, huh?" She said with a smile. 

"After you gave me permission I just couldn't stop myself." Marco admitted and rubbed the back of his head embarrassed. "Was I rough or mean or-" Jackie put a hand under his chin to guide him to her and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"You were just right." She said with a smile. 

"Jackie you... are the coolest girlfriend anyone could ask for." 

"You're pretty good yourself." She said as they laughed together, moving closer to hug each other in the quiet. "You think anyone heard us?" 

"I don't think so. I mean there's a party going on outside and most of this part of the school was abandoned. No reason for anyone to come to the torture room." 

"The Jackie-Marco sexy time room." Jackie said and poked his arm. "No more bad memories of this place. Or do I have to make you go through my therapy again." 

"Part of me wants to lie and say 'Yes, I will need that every day'". Marco joked and Jackie rolled her eyes. "Okay then, the Jackie-Marco sexy time ro-" However Marco's words were cut short by the sound of something heavy and mechanical moving near by. The couple grabbed onto each other in surprise and concern, both looking up as they had heard it coming from the room with the broken glass window above them. 

"Wasn't that the projection booth?" Jackie asked concerned. 

"I think so, but why would it-" Suddenly the lights in the room dimmed and a projection played along the wall showing a woman wearing a hat. "Oh no, this garbage again."

"This garbage?" Jackie asked as she stood up along with Marco to watch the projection. 

"The proper hat for the event, lest you be in malcontent." A voice recording stated in a sing-songy voice over a speaker in the room. Jackie could only look on in utter confusion and Marco in annoyance. Another slide came through, this time of a woman playing tennis. "Everyone will admire the princess who does not perspire." The voice recording said, getting a rise out of Jackie.

"What!? Excuse me, but girls sweat! It's a thing they do. What is this garbage!?" She asked, Marco smiling at her outrage over something he also equally hated. 

"This is the movie they showed to try and perform the brainwashing on us. It's just a bunch of perfect princess propaganda." Another slide came through, this time of a woman across from a man as the automated voice continued.

"'Tis better to be fussy, than to be called a hussy."

"Hey, girls like sex too! You stupid, ignorant..."

"Whoa whoa whoa, it's just a recording." Marco said as he rushed to Jackie's side and patted her on the shoulder. "Besides no one listens to this kind of stuff anymore anyway. It's all a bunch of programming to try and make you into a subservient little doll." The slides changed and the automatic voice continued. 

"If your elbows are on the table, you belong in a stable." The voice lectured and Jackie grumbled in return. 

"I can think of something that belongs in a stable, with the manure on the ground. Marco, hand me my panties and kiss me like a hussy princess." He did as he was instructed, enjoying the kiss considerably and also helping Jackie clean up after their sexual escapades. Once they were sufficiently clean and dressed they unlocked the door and checked the hallway to see if anyone was near by. 

"Coast is clear." Marco said as he opened the door to let Jackie out of the room. "You know I gotta say, I've never seen you get that riled up before." 

"It felt like it was attacking me directly." She confessed, moving in to lean on Marco's side while they walked. "We did all that stuff together and I was afraid you'd think bad of me for wanting it and then even after we both agreed it was okay and enjoyed it this projector comes on and calls me a hussy for liking sex. Girls can like sex too." 

"Yes they can. I think a lot of them do actually." Marco said in agreement, enjoying the cuddling as they walked. "Though it is kind of weird it turned on at all." 

"You don't think someone was watching us from up there, do you?" Jackie asked suddenly, Marco thinking it over. 

"I mean... I don't think so. Maybe we did something with the chair that made it start? Or it could be on a timer or something? This place was abandoned a while ago so who knows how much stuff isn't working right." 

"I sure hope so." Jackie said. "I didn't mind us playing with that chair but I don't think I'm up for an audience." Marco put his arm around her and gave Jackie a little hug, her doing the same for him.

"Should we get back to the party?" 

"Yeah, probably, before someone notices how long we've been gone. Do you think they'll ask." 

"I dunno, Pony Head and Starfan didn't really seem to care and Janna was already off doing her own thing. All the guys were talking to girls at the party and if I know Star she'll be chatting it up with Oskar all night long."

"Okay, I guess I don't feel bad ditching them for alone time with you then." Jackie said. "Love you Safe Kid." 

"Love you Cool Skater Girl."

With that the couple made their way through the halls and back towards the party. Never noticing the additional set of foot steps echoing behind them that carefully followed them out.


	9. Wild Oats

"I can't believe you two somehow managed to be even worse than the Earth turd!" A frustrated Princess Pony Head complained at the two sullen Earth boys before her. "All you had to do was show these girls you guys were fun. I even put in a good word for you saying you were from Earth, which like everyone here thinks is somewhere awesome since no one's ever really seen it." Unlike Star who absolutely loved everything about Earth, Pony Head had a much more reserved opinion on Marco's home planet. Finding it kind of dull compared to the rest of the places around the universe she'd been able to visit. 

Despite her complaints Alfonzo and Ferguson had truly done their very best to try and live up to the princesses' expectations. It was just unfortunate for them that their very best didn't usually come close to what was needed for impressing women. While initiating conversations wasn't a problem for Ferguson he often dropped the ball shortly after with unnecessary exaggerations and attempts at comedy that fell flat both figuratively and literally when he went for a things like pratfalls. Al on the other hand had the most difficulty getting a conversation to start and while no one seemed to be too bothered by the pubescent cracking of his voice it was hard for him to find subjects to relate to with the alien princesses. By the end of their social attempts they'd found themselves ostracized by the various royalty at the party, proving some things just held universally true about one's place in life. 

"I don't know what you want us to do about it." Ferguson complained back at Pony Head. "We came here to have fun, not to be put on display like some kind of accessory from another planet for your party." 

"Besides at least three of these girls asked me how Earthlings tasted. Is that normal or are they actually planning to eat us?" Al asked hesitantly. 

"Lemme give you some advice, whenever someone asks how you taste and they got bigger teeth than you, the answer is 'bad'." Pony head educated, letting out a sigh. "I can't believe my whole crew ditched me the moment I got here. Y'all don't have any respect for your hostess, you know that?" 

"You still have us." Ferguson offered with a smile but it didn't seem to cheer Pony Head up any. After a quick debate in her mind on if she should bail on her own party to find some place else to hang, two more members of her original group approached. Jackie and Marco walking up to the trio looking very happy with themselves. 

"Hey guys, enjoying the party?" Marco asked of his two friends, standing tall with Jacking hanging off of his arm. 

"Not as much as you it looks like." Alfonzo commented and Marco and Jackie shared a look between each other. Something that wasn't lost on anyone but Pony Head was the first to address it. 

"Where did you two run off to anyway? You sure ditched us quick to be alone together." 

"I wanted to see what the rest of the school looked like." Jackie replied happily. "Marco gave me a tour before we decided to come back here and check on you guys. Everyone having fun?" 

"Oh yeah, real great time." Pony Head said sarcastically. "Star split when you guys did and I lost that crazy girl that's obsessed with B-fly on the way back." 

"Star disappeared on you?" Marco asked sounding concerned. "Did she run back out here?"

"I don't know where she went, she just bounced out without a word." 

"Oh... and Starfan?" 

"She said she wanted to find some 'real princess stuff', whatever that means, then she was gone too. So yeah, y'all ran out on me. Thanks Earth Turd."

"S-sorry about that. I didn't think everyone would just sort of sneak off on their own like that." Marco said sounding a bit nervous, the expression on Jackie's face changing from cheerful to concerned as well. 

"Something up with you two?" Pony Head asked curiously. Ferguson chiming in along with her next. 

"Yeah, you both look like you're worried or something." Marco tried to search for a suitable answer but seemed to be coming up short on what the right thing to say was. During his stumbling of words though Jackie stepped up to the plate. 

"We were just worried about everyone since most of you haven't been to another world before." The blonde girl said, trying to smile cheerfully. "Not everyone had a guide like I did with Marco." 

"You've been keeping real close to him too." Pony Head commented towards Jackie with a hint of suspicion in her tone. The skater girl seemed stuck at the floating horse head's possible insinuations about them, allowing Marco a chance to recover for her in exchange. 

"So Al! Ferg! How's the party going, are the girls treating you okay!?" Marco blurted, physically pushing himself into the center of the conversation and group. Ferguson and Alfonzo sighed in unison with a shrug. 

"I gotta tell you Marco, trying to be a heartthrob for princesses isn't easy." Al confessed. 

"I tried every story, joke and bit I know and they still didn't seem to think it was funny." Ferguson complained, unsure as to how his methods weren't winning him any fans among the crowd. Jackie had a bit of insight as to why when she spoke next. 

"You didn't do the thing with the face on your stomach, did you?" She asked and Ferguson responded by lifting his shirt to reveal a smiley face drawn on with the marker they'd used to decorate their balloons earlier. "Look guys, maybe trying things like jokes and lines you think might impress girls isn't the way to go? You should just be yourselves when talking."

"Thank you Jackie but I'm not sure that's the best approach for us either." Al admitted. 

"Gotta agree." Ferg seconded. 

"Pretty sure being themselves is not helping them." Pony Head concluded with as much faith in them as they had. Though the blonde girl wasn't ready to give up. 

"Well maybe you're just not talking to the right girls? Like uh... what about her?" Jackie asked as she pointed out a centaur princess who was hanging by the edge of the dance floor. Not participating in the dancing herself, simply standing about and looking annoyed with her surroundings. "You two got turned into a horse person on that weird field trip we took, right? She might be interested in that." The suggestion sparked a glimmer of hope in the boys. 

"Hey, that's right! Being a centaur was a lot of fun!" Al said enthusiastically to his friend. 

"I bet she's the coolest girl here. We should go talk to her right now." Ferguson replied with equal excitement. Though Pony Head still retained her sour mood.

"You two manage to tame that ornery mule then I'll take back everything I said about you." The princess offered, glaring at the female centaur. Marco was aware Pony Head could hold a grudge but had never heard mention of this girl before during one of her rants. 

"She do something to you?" Marco asked curiously, letting loose a torrent from Pony Head. 

"Oh nothing at all, she's just a mean old nag who doesn't like anyone, hates partying and wears like the most tacky clothing ever! Like so what centaurs dress in like lame animal skins and leaves and junk, at least be a little presentable. You're royalty, ain't you girl? Have a little class why don't you!?" 

"Is it also because she's got the bottom half of a horse and you're a horse head?" 

"Marco that would be a totally messed up to hate on someone just because of their appearance. But yes." This didn't surprise Marco at all and also didn't deter the other boys as they decided to act on Jackie's advice and approach her.

"Well we're gonna lasso us a filly, read to go partner?" Ferguson asked Al as they walked off together to try and chat up the centaur girl. Having both Earth boys off in the same corner with her least favorite princess in the school was fine by Pony Head, which allowed her to turn her attentions back onto Marco and Jackie to find out what they had been up to. Though it didn't last long as they were greeted by another of their group. 

"Hi guys!" Starfan practically shouted as she ran up to the three of them, looking considerably different than when she'd left. 

"Whoa girl, what the heck!?" Pony Head shouted in surprise. "Where'd you get all that bling!?" Starfan had essentially changed her appearance entirely as she'd left wearing her normal poorly constructed Star Butterfly cosplay and returned in a gown with various bits of jewelry that seemed completely mismatched. In fact her boots, gloves and dress all seemed to be pieced together from different outfits while also wearing two sets of necklaces, a batch of rings and two tiaras on her head.

"Well I wanted to explore like Marco and Jackie did and I found all of this princess stuff!" She said joyfully as she showed herself off. "You said this place was abandoned or whatever so I decided I should get some good things before they change it all." 

"Uh... you know..." Marco said hesitantly. "They're just renovating parts of the school to be used later. A lot of these girls are still staying in the dorms here." Marco allowed the words to sink in with Starfan as she took a moment to process what he'd said. 

"Oh." Starfan said quietly. "Well uh... I won't tell any secrets if you won't?" She said with a wink and a whisper, causing Jackie and Marco to freeze for a moment. 

"W-w-what secrets?" Marco asked nervously. 

"Exactly!" Starfan agreed. Before they could get any further into the topic of secret actions taken up inside the school that now included robbery another figure approached the group. 

"Get back to your cells!" A voice screeched at all four teenagers from a figure in a grey uniform coat and wearing a jeweled eye patch over a grey mask, causing them to scream in surprise back at the person. Soon after though the menacing figure started laughing hard. "Oh my gosh you should see the look on your faces!" A female voice said as she kept laughing to herself, Marco taking note to see the trim of a yellow skirt and a young girls legs sticking out under the coat. 

"Janna!?" Marco shouted accusingly and the girl pulled up the bottom part of the grey mask to reveal her mouth. 

"Surprise! Pretty cool right? I found all this crazy stuff in some closet inside the building. There's like a ton of this weird military junk. Oh hey, Starfan, looking good too." The girls high-fived each other on their secured loot, though Pony Head was too over it to be mad about them stealing things from the school and nearly giving her a death by fright. 

"Whatever, you girls better be careful though. Someone's likely to kick your butts if they see you walking around dressed like that and I ain't gonna stick my neck out for you."

"But you barely have a neck." Starfan replied innocently. Janna didn't care much about the warning though, now taking off the grey uniform mask completely but putting the eye patch with the jewel in it back on her face. 

"We'll be fine, no one's gonna care. Hey Jackie, check these out." Janna said excitedly and pulled out a pair of handcuffs from her pocket, showing them off. "Pretty hot stuff, right? Give you any ideas?" She placed them into the skater girl's hands who was blushing red at the suggestion. 

"What kind of ideas do you mean?" Jackie asked trying to sound cool but looking flustered in her expression. Janna just winked at her. 

"I think you know. Besides what happens in another dimension stays there, right Diaz?" Janna asked and tossed the grey guardsman's mask into his hands, not a souvenir that Marco was all that excited to keep honestly but he pocketed it anyway.

"Actually no." Marco replied. "Not at all, in fact the very nature of us being here and all going back together suggests otherwise." 

"Well good thing no one's gonna talk about it then." Janna said confidently. Marco wanted to get further elaboration on that but the conversation was cut short when they finally caught up with someone else. 

"Hey guys, what's up!" Star said happily as she approached the group, smiling brightly as ever. 

"Star, there you are." Marco said sounding relieved to see the princess again. "Pony Head said you ran off and she couldn't find you." 

"I came back out here to see Oskar perform." Star answered, though she had also changed her look slightly in that she was now sporting some new highly decorated sunglasses on her face that hid her eyes and her balloon she'd previously had on her wrist was missing. This wasn't too uncommon though, everyone present lost their balloons in the process of clothing changes and exploration of the school. 

"Nice shades." Janna said with a nod. 

"Nice scary uniform and eye patch." Star replied. "Wow, Starfan you're looking really royal tonight." The compliment caused the girl to go into a giggle fit that she wasn't able to properly respond back from. "So what's everyone doing?" 

"We just got done with our tour." Jackie answered Star. "And I think everyone else did a little sight seeing of their own." 

"You mean looting?" Marco asked, looking directly at Janna and Starfan. Janna was unfazed by the accusation however. 

"Hey if no one else wants it I might as well keep it." She replied with a wink... or a blink... it was hard to tell with that eye patch on. "So Star, you said Oskar actually performed. Was he any good or did everyone hate it?" 

"He was good." Star answered quickly, not elaborating much further. Pony Head however had more to add to the story. 

"If by good you mean kicked off the stage after about ten minutes of murdering that keytar thing he brought." Clearly Pony Head didn't share in Star's preferences for music when it came to Oskar. "Whatever, he's entertaining some girls with bad taste in music far away from where we can hear it last I saw him." While that accounted for where all the boys had been pretty clearly, by Marcos account all of the girls had quickly separated and gone their own way shortly after arriving. Vanishing off the map and without a trace of where they could have been. 

"So it looks like everyone had a little adventure on their own already, huh?" Marco asked looking around the group.

"Y'all ran off on me and I couldn't find anyone." Pony Head remarked a little coldly. 

"I know I got to find and see what I was looking for." Starfan replied, admiring the jewelry and fancy clothing she had by now clearly stolen from the other princesses' rooms without much regard for having done it.

"I got around." Janna said succinctly with a smile.

"I just came back out here." Star said innocently. 

"Why are you wearing those glasses?" Jackie asked Star, catching the princess off guard. "It's the middle of the night, isn't it hard to see out of them?"

"What? Nah, they're not as dark as they look." Star answered, though from the outside the dark lenses completely obscured her eyes. "Besides don't they look cute? I just wanted to try them on." 

"I think they look great on you!" Starfan complimented unsurprisingly. "Hey Star, do you want to go dancing!? I haven't actually done it yet and I want to show off my new look."

"I'd like to go out and dance too." Jackie agreed at Starfan's suggestion. "I feel like it'd be fun to just cut loose a little." Marco and Pony Head were along for the ride at the girls' suggestions, Pony Head especially after having been left behind before. Though not everyone was on board for group activities. 

"I got other plans." Janna said abruptly and pulled out a deck of cards from one of the pockets on her new uniform jacket. "I want to see what kind of games these princesses know about. I'm sure poker is easy enough to learn for a bunch of smart girls like these." 

"You're going to try and rob them blind, aren't you?" Marco asked with a deadpan expression, though it didn't deter Janna any. 

"If you want to put on your pretty pink gown and join us I could try to make it a game of strip poker." Janna said with a wink and Marco physically backed away a few steps from her. 

"I think I'd rather just go dancing with everyone else!" Marco answered quickly. "Star, do you want to come with us too? I bet they'll end up playing some Love Sentence before tonight's over." It was an open invitation to spend time with her with an activity he knew she enjoyed but also an attempt to keep her out of Janna's influence. 

"Oh uh, I think I'm actually going to go talk to Oskar." Star replied. "But you guys can go dance if you want! I'll come join you after I'm done, okay?" 

"Well... okay, if you're sure?" 

"Oh yeah! Don't worry about me, just go have fun! I'll be back before you know it." Star answered and the group agreed to go their separate ways again, Janna and Star heading in different directions while the rest of the group worked their way into the crowd. Once they were in deep enough on the dance floor everyone took to moving to the music as naturally as they could, Marco probably having the most trouble keeping in step. Thankfully when you're in a crowd of people from multiple kingdoms, cultures and planets it helps that their opinions on what good dancing is differs greatly. 

"Keep up with me Marco." Jackie said as she got close and spoke just above the sound of the music. Dancing beside him with moves that involved a lot of hip action, something she had an advantage in making look good. Marco did his best but certain thoughts kept on his mind. 

"Sorry 'bout that! I was just thinking about Star." 

"Oh." Jackie said with more surprise in her voice and face than he expected. "Are you... do you need to go to her?" 

"No. No no, it's not like that. I was just thinking that something seemed a little... off, y'know?" 

"Maybe she's nervous cause that Oskar guy is here." She replied, grabbing Marco's arms and putting them around her to make it easier to talk and keep his attention on her. "Honestly I don't know about him, I heard he dropped out of school." 

"Well that would explain why he was so hard to find tonight." Marco reflected. 

"You don't think she was in that projection booth, do you?" Jackie suggested and Marco felt his heart nearly stop in his chest at the idea. 

"I... I don't think so? She said she came right outside." 

"But Pony Head said she didn't see her leave." That was true, it was something Jackie had caught that somehow slipped by Marco completely. "Janna said she was running around inside the school too, right?" 

"So was Starfan." Marco replied, thinking it over. "So was Pony Head if we really consider it. She said she lost everyone so who knows who could have actually been in there. If anybody." 

"Yeah... yeah, it was probably nobody." Jackie said trying to reassure herself. 

"Probably nobody." Marco replied as the two gave each other a little hug. 

"You're still not going to brag to anyone about it right?" Jackie asked. "Even if someone did see?" 

"Never." Marco replied. "You're not going to brag either, right?" Jackie laughed a little at his question and gave his cheek a kiss.

"Well I am dating the famous Princess Marco, but I'll try to keep it cool." She answered and it allowed the two of them to loosen up and enjoy dancing to the music. 

 

"So you previously walked on four legs instead of two?" A princess with a powerful and commanding voice asked the two boys as she looked down on them, standing above them with the height her centaur body gave her. They nodded in agreement to her question in unison. "But you chose to give up your extra limbs?" 

"We didn't really choose it." Ferguson explained. "Since we didn't start out that way our friend said she'd get in trouble if we went home as a centaur. So she had to change us back." 

"We've tried to get her to change us into it again before, but she always says it's too dangerous to try." Alfonzo followed up. 

"I pity you two, losing the grace and strength of a centaur. However... few other princes I've met have understood the joy that comes from having four legs instead of two." 

"It took a while to get used to but I think it was a lot more fun that way." Ferguson agreed, finding this conversation to be going much better than Pony Head had implied it would. Sure this girl was really proud of her heritage, and maybe for some weird reason that clashed with someone that didn't have legs at all and was just a floating horse head instead. "You said your name was Princess Seabiscuit?" 

"Indeed. I am Princess Seabiscuit of the Centaur Kingdom." The princess said and seemed to be flexing her powerful looking muscles during her introduction, clearly proud of her strength and demeanor. 

"You seem like you're a pretty great centaur from everything I've seen. Why would you have been sent here of all places?" Ferguson asked curiously. Seabiscuit let out a scoff and stomped one of her hooves, clearly sore on this subject. 

"My father was angry because I wounded a mere four suitors that attempted to take my hand in marriage. They respected my title but not my spirit or my strength."

"He wanted you to get married already? But how did they have time to even get to know you?" Alfonzo asked, gaining a smile from the princess. 

"Exactly! None of them understood me at all! None of them even spoke to me as if they wished to learn of my desires! One of them challenged me in combat, however I made sure he paid the price for failing in both courting and dueling." Seabiscuit took a moment to eye Alfonzo and Ferguson over. "You are not quite the physical demeanor I am used to in my men, but your hearts are strong and your minds are not soft. I will allow you to accompany me tonight." 

"Really!? That's great!" Ferguson said in response. 

"I suppose two former centaurs would be better to spend my evening with than none at all." 

"Oh we weren't two centaurs." Alfonzo corrected, confusing Seabiscuit quite thoroughly in the process.

"I... I do not understand. You said you walked on four legs." 

"Oh we did, but the two of us were one centaur, together." Alfonzo explained, putting an arm around his buddy who did the same. "Working the legs as a team was kind of difficult but we got the idea of it pretty fast." 

"Oh... I see." Seabiscuit responded, seeming to ponder something deeply. "This feels quite different completely. Quite different." After a few moments of thinking she came to a conclusion. "Which was the head and which was the tail?" 

"I was the head." Ferguson answered.

"I guess that makes me the tail? I was on the back part." Alfonzo answered, suddenly finding his arm in arm bond with his friend broken as Seabiscuit took Ferguson by the back of his shirt and lifted him up easily. Placing him onto her back as if he was riding a horse.

"My apologies young prince, but my pride will only allow me to spend company with a centaur. The true centaur, not his tail. Farewell for tonight." She explained and walked away, taking Ferguson with her. Turning back around Ferguson mouthed "Sorry dude" with a shrug as he departed, feeling bad for his friend but also looking to spend some time with a girl who was willing to be around him for a change. Alfonzo sighed but understood, at least a friend of his managed to get a little lucky for once that wasn't Marco. Although they had succeeded in entertaining Princess Seabiscuit, so that meant they beat Pony Head's challenge, even if it wasn't together. 

Deciding after that he needed some refreshments, Alfonzo walked over to where they were serving the punch and appetizers to get himself as drink. As he looked around for a cup he heard what sounded like frantic tapping. It didn't go along with the beat of the music so it had to have been something else. Looking around curiously he eventually found one of the red plastic cups had been turned upside down and had a plate of snacks sitting on top of it. Alfonzo took the plate off of the cup and then lifted it himself, finding a small figure underneath. 

"Finally!" A little voice shouted as a tiny girl with wings stood up on the table. "I thought I was going to be under there all night!"

"Oh wow, are you alright? Did someone drop this on you by accident or something?" Alfonzo asked, surprised to see he'd been right about finding a person in distress after hearing those small taps against the plastic cup. 

"That horrible Princess Smooshy trapped me in that cup! I can't believe she'd disrespect me like that!" Flapping her butterfly like wings the pixie princess took to the air. "I'm so angry, where did that fat sack of vanity go anyway!?" 

"Uh... sorry, I don't know any Smooshy." Alfonzo answered. "Why did she put you under a cup anyway?" 

"Cause she's a jerk!" The pixie princess replied with a haughty tone. "All I did was suggest she use some filters on that stupid phone she keeps taking selfies with."

"Well that doesn't sound so bad, what filters did you suggest?" 

"... a mask to hide her face." The girl admitted, clearly aware it was a mean thing to say but didn't seem any less angry about what had been done to her. "I need to get my revenge! But thank you for helping me, kind prince." The pixie said gratefully as she flew up to Alfonzo.

"Oh well, y'know, it was nothing at all. I'm not really a prince anyway." Alfonzo admitted. 

"Yet you saved me all the same. May I at least know your name so I can remember your good deed along with it?" Alfonzo felt a little embarrassed at all the kindness she was heaping onto him, but tried to be modest about it. 

"Oh I'm Alfonzo. It's a real pleasure to meet you, Pixtopia is one of the few places I've been to besides Earth before." 

"Wait... Alfonzo? You're an Earthling named Alfonzo and have been to Pixtopia? You don't mean to tell me you're Emperor Alfonzo do you!? The one that married the Empress after her previous suitor ran out on her?" The pixie princess declared in excitement. That had been an adventure with an odd end for everyone, especially since it started to settle a bill involving excessive calling on Star's magic mirror. 

"Oh well, actually I kind of am. But you can just call me Al." 

"I can't believe it! Emperor Alfonzo is talking to me at a party!" The pixie suddenly seemed intrigued by the boy, floating around him in a circle of excitement. "Oh my goodness! This is too amazing. I heard during your time as emperor you sentenced more debtors to work the mines than any other ruler before you!" 

"Yeah well, when I heard there was a lot of customer not paying their bills we came up with some fliers to trick people into trading in their old magic mirrors for new ones for free. But if they couldn't pay their bill, they went into the mines. So we only sent the promotion to people with large debts. This kind of stuff happens a lot on Earth too." 

"That's so ruthless!" The pixie said with pure excitement. "So if you're here does that mean you and the Empress aren't together anymore?"

"We're still married, I guess? I told her I had to go back home to finish going to school at least and she let me. So we're just waiting to see what happens from there." 

"Really?" The pixie said intrigued, flying onto Alfonzo's shoulder and landing there. "So if something were to happen to her, you'd still be emperor AND single?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Alfonzo agreed, not exactly eager to talk about his weird marriage to a tiny magical woman or her potential death. But he was happy to get this kind of attention from a girl, even if she did seem a little evil and vengeful. Probably the reason why she was sent to this school in the first place. Pixies looked cute but they could be downright cruel given the chance. "Say didn't you need to get revenge on that Princess Smashy or whoever?" 

"Oh her ugly face can wait. Let's go find someplace to talk together some more, privately. You don't mind, right?" The pixie asked, scooting on his shoulder closer to his face. 

As it turned out despite Alfonzo's previous concerns, Ferguson wouldn't be the only lucky Earth boy tonight after all.

 

In a corner of the wide open space that made up the front of the school court yard, far away from the stage where the majority of the attendees were dancing and socializing to their hearts content, was a boy with his keytar. He sat upon a pile of rubble that once made up the security tower that prevented all means of magical escape from the prison like school. As he played his instrument of choice a collection of princesses gathered around him to listen to his music, enamored by the notes he played which hit a spot with their alien ears that often turned away anyone from his own planet of Earth. Even if the majority of the crowd had rejected his contribution when he tried to join in on the stage he was still able to find a group that appreciated his art. 

As Oskar began to wrap up his song (which identifying where they started and ended was difficult based on his "unique" method of music structure) and receive his modest applause there was a pair of hands clapping that stood out from the rest. Ones that belonged to the original alien ears that had found his music charming. "Great song Oskar!" 

"Oh hey Star, what's up?" Oskar said with a pleasant smile, earning a group of glares from the other princesses that had gathered to watch him perform as she seemed more familiar with the Earth boy than all of them. "I thought you went off with Mango and Horse Head?" 

"Oh I uh... I did, but I came back out to see you." Star said with a smile.

"Cool. Nice shades you got there." Oskar said, admiring the odd curling designs that came off the frames to make butterfly like wings.

"Thanks, I like them too. Say I was wondering, did you maybe want to check out the school with me?" Star asked the boy, getting a look of surprise from him and intensified glares from the few princesses that had come for their own private concert with the cute Earth boy.

"Yeah, sure, I guess that'd be cool. Didn't you like, go here for a while or something?" 

"I lived in fear of it for the majority of my life and then helped tear it down by the foundations... but yeah, I guess it's kinda the same?" Star agreed with some hesitation to her voice. The differences didn't seem to bother Oskar at all as he got up to accompany her. Equally oblivious was he to the sounds of disappointment from the other girls he'd left behind to join the princess of Mewni. Not that it upset Star any, she had her own agenda to fulfill. 

Once inside the school Oskar was equally surprised by all the destruction combined with the various posters and graffiti promoting Princess Marco. Who he still somehow kept referring to as Mango regardless of the name being written directly on the walls he was looking at. "Princesses sure are rad, rebelling against their own school. I never would have imagined they could do something like this." Oskar commented, seeming impressed. 

"Well Princesses are just regular girls with crowns. We're not that different from normal people."

"No way, this is way cooler than you'd see in any normal place. Fighting a whole school and rebelling against it. You'd never see this kinda stuff back home. Someone should like... make a movie or write a song about it or something."

"Well if it was going to be a song maybe you could be the first to do it?" Star offered, watching Oskar's face as realization slowly crept into his mind from her suggestion. 

"Oh wow, I could! Like I could write a song about how you and Mango defeated this place. That would be awesome!" Star let Oskar bask in the moment for a little bit, smiling over being able to give him such a happy thought. "Thanks Star, I don't think I would have thought of that on my own." 

"Oh shucks, I mean I just said what was obvious. You're a musician and you said there should be a song so... y'know." Star laced her fingers together to signify the pieces fitting. 

"I dunno, I don't think I'd have ever thought I could do it. It's sort of a big and important event right? So for me to be the one to try..." Oskar trailed off a little. "But you believed in me right away." 

"Of course, I think you can make great music if you want to." Star encouraged, happy to keep this train of thought going while they walked through the halls together, slowly going deeper into the school.

"Do princesses have a lot of songs written about them?" 

"Well I can't speak for every princess, but each princess on Mewni gets her own Song Day." 

"Whoa, that sounds epic. So you have a whole song written about you and like, a day long concert to listen to it?" 

"Nah, mine hasn't happened yet. But it's going to be soon." Star said as she looked down at the floor, kicking some trash as she walked. "It doesn't matter, Song Day is a joke." 

"It's a joke? But... it's a special day about you, isn't it? How could that be a joke?" 

"That's sweet of you to say." Star said with a smile, making Oskar blush a little in surprise as he seemed to realize he accidentally complimented her. "But most princess songs are just a bunch of fluff that makes us sound like perfect little girls doing perfectly sweet things. There's never anything 'real' about them." 

"Wow. That's a bummer." 

"Right! Like nearly every princess song on Mewni could be interchanged between every princess we've ever had. I don't want to have a song made about me that's just a rinse and repeat of my mom's or grandma's or anyone else's song." 

"You want a true song about you? That's like about your heart and soul." 

"Yes, exactly! That's what I want! Something that lets the people of Mewni know I'm not just another picture perfect princess in a dress. I want to be true to them and to myself and not have to hold anything back or... or hide anything from anyone about my feelings or desires or life. I want it all to feel real!" Star exclaimed, nearly shouting through the halls and letting it echo far beyond where they were speaking. As she caught her breath Star realized she'd been yelling and calmed down a little. "Sorry 'bout that." 

"Nah, it's cool. I yell at the sky too sometimes when I'm mad." Oskar reassured her. "It's better than not yelling at anything at all." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Star said and took a moment to look around the hall way. They were mostly alone but the faint sounds of the party were still in the distance as well as the sounds of conversation in various rooms across the building. "Hey Oskar, I think I know of another room that might inspire you for your music." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, if you want to follow me I could show it to you. There's probably not a lot of people there so we can hang out as long as we want." 

"Sure thing, I'd love to see more of this wild place." With a nod and a smile Star lead him deeper into St. Olga's. It was a place she'd only been once before but it had stuck in her memory distinctly despite the stressful conditions she'd been under upon entering it. Traveling deep within the building Star had been correct that there wouldn't be many people near by. The sounds of conversation and even music dwindled away as they stepped forward initially through darkness before coming across a large room illuminated by an open skylight. "Whoa." 

"I know, right?" Star agreed as they looked around the circular room filled with many doorways. Pillars lined each door with lizard like heads decorating the top. Symbols beneath them on the floor of celestial beings of the night sky carved out of stone and the ceiling had a painting that surrounded the skylight. One of demons with weapons that seemed to be descending upon them in that very room. 

"What is this place?" 

"Dunno. Now there's nobody left to ask either." Star confessed, stepping away from Oskar as he took in all the imagery around him. "We were running for our lives when we came into this room, Heinous and her goons on our tail. We eventually picked a door and kept running till Marco found us a way out. He got me and Pony Head to safety but... he didn't get away himself." 

"That's intense." Oskar said as he kept looking around the room at the paintings and statues.

"Yeah, it's not one of my favorite memories." Star hugged her shoulders as if a chill was running up her spine. "I honestly don't have a lot of good memories about this place at all."

"Oh. I'm sorry?" Oskar asked, somewhat confused by the confession. "Did you wanna go? We don't have to be here if you don't like it."

"No, it's okay. I mean, they say if you have bad memories of a place you can sometimes get rid of them by replacing them with good ones." 

"Really? I've never heard of that before." Oskar admitted, though he'd never been one on studying how a person's mind works. 

"It's what I want to believe anyway." Star replied, turning to look at Oskar in the eyes through her dark tinted glasses. "Say, have you written a lot of love songs?"

"Love songs?" Oskar asked, surprised by the question but took a moment to think it over seriously. "I guess I haven't. 

"Oh? You've never had a girlfriend before or anything like that to inspire you for one?" Star asked as she slowly approached him, watching Oskar swallow a lump in his throat but managing to hold his ground. 

"Well uh... nah, I mean, I don't want to be tied down." Oskar replied, adding some bravado to his voice. 

"Tied down?" Star asked curiously, stopping her advance with the question.

"Yeah you know, like, sure girls want to be my girlfriend but I'm just too free. I've gotta be out there to do my own thing. Sow my wild oats."

"You farm?" Star asked, more confused than ever. "I mean we grow lots of corn in Mewni but I didn't think oats were that important to Earthlings. I guess there are a lot of different breakfast cereals and breads in the grocery stores..."

"No no no, it's like not like farming. It means like... you gotta do your own thing, y'know? You can't let yourself be stopped so you can do what feels right or what makes you happy." 

"Oh." Star replied, considering his words more carefully now. "So you want to be able to have fun before you have to grow up." 

"Yeah, that's it. It's all about having fun." 

"Right, before you have to be responsible." Star said thoughtfully, more to herself than to Oskar. "To date people you like and do things you want to do before time runs out to do those kinds of things. It doesn't matter if they're not the person that's best for the future or marriage or anything like that. All that matters is right now. Sowing those 'wild oats'."

"Yeah! Yeah, exactly! See Star, that's why it's so cool hanging out with you. You understand me comple-" Oskar didn't get to complete that sentence however as Star closed the gap between them and placed her lips against his own. He'd clearly been caught off guard by Star's advance but after a few moments of feeling her hands on his chest and lips against his own he was willing to forget about the surprise of the kiss and simply accept it, kissing her in return eagerly. 

Star's arms went around Oskar and his around her as they continued their kiss, lips parting to meet each other more passionately. Her fingers gripped at his shirt as he held her, his kiss and embrace more forceful than what she'd experienced in the past with Marco. Still she managed to keep up with him and moaned against his lips as she let herself fall into the moment. Hands on her back slipping under her hair and further down over her hips and ass, feeling her through her skirt. He was fast to enjoy handfuls of the princess before him and she was doing nothing to resist his exploring her body. Their kiss broke as both were taking deep breaths. "Enjoying the right now?"

"Y-yeah... yeah, a lot." Oskar said, his hold on her strong but hesitant. He wasn't making as many moves as Star had been expecting so she decided to guide him gently. Using her right arm she brushed back her long hair from her right shoulder, exposing her bare neck to him. Thankfully it didn't take much direction after that as he descended onto her soft skin and began to kiss and suck at her neck.

"Ooh!" Star cooed feeling his mouth touch her skin and hands pull up at her skirt to feel her ass through her tights. He clearly enjoyed the feeling of her body in his grip and she was enjoying the ride along with him. She winced a little feeling his teeth bite lightly at her neck, letting out a moan. "Your fangs are sharp." 

"Should I stop?" He asked against her ear and Star shook her head, feeling his mouth plant itself against her neck again and bite a little harder. Star gasped lightly and lifted her leg up against his, providing pressure between their hips onto one another. This was the first time she'd ever learned about "sowing wild oats" and just going by her instincts but she was starting to see the appeal of it. There was a pressure against Oskar's pants she could feel pushing against her tights. It was the kind of thing she'd become familiar with now after her past experiences. At least this meant he was enjoying it as much as her. 

"Os.. Os.. ker." Star breathed out slowly. "Hold... Hold on a moment." She placed her hand on the back of his head and he pulled away from her neck with no fight at all. Despite his apparent eagerness with the fun they were having he was still nervous enough to stop the instant she protested. Doubt was piling up that Oskar had done this before with many girls, if any at all, but his inexperience was kind of cute in a way. 

"Is something wrong?" He asked and Star placed a kiss on his lips in response. 

"Nope." She said cheerfully. "But I think I can do something for you that you'll really like." Using her hands to make him release his possessive grip on her posterior, Star slowly lowered herself down onto her knees in front of him and gave his crotch a tap with her fingers. "Ready to come out and play?" 

"Whoa! I didn't think you'd like... know about that kind of stuff." Oskar said in surprise and Star looked up at him curiously. 

"What kind of stuff? I'm aware of the difference between boys and girls." Star thought on his question for a moment. "You are too, right?" 

"Yeah! Yeah yeah I am! I just... never expected you to, y'know... be willing to go that far." 

"Should I stop?" Star asked, now confused as to what he was trying to get at with all his questioning about her latest actions. 

"No way, this is awesome!" Oskar said eagerly but his previous words still stuck in her mind. Regardless Star continued on as planned, unzipping Oskar's jeans and pulling his pants and underwear down to expose him to her. Despite having been in this position before Star found herself nervous too now. This wasn't the same boy she'd done this with in the past and it seemed like he didn't think the same way either about what they were doing. Still she pressed on as her fingers came up and began to stroke Oskar's erect cock, looking up at his face as she did. 

"This feels good, right?" Star asked in a sensual tone as she used her hand to slowly pump him, Oskar nodded and breathing heavily as she did. He seemed like he was enjoying himself again and Star began to relax more as they continued. "Okay, I'll make it even better for you." Using her free hand Star pushed back the strands of hair around her face and leaned forward, licking at the tip of his cock while she stroked him. 

"Oh man... oh wow..." Oskar seemed both amazed by what was happening before him and reacting to the pleasure Star was providing him. "I can't believe I'm getting head right now. Star you're the coolest girl ever." She enjoyed getting the compliment, encouraging her to go farther as she wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock and began to suck while still stroking his cock. It somehow tasted different than Marco's, though it was mostly the same texture and feeling of human flesh against her lips. Taking a breath of air in through her nose Star moved her head farther down along his shaft, coating him in her saliva while he moaned out at the feeling. Pulling her head back Star released him from her lips and returned to stroking him with her hand. 

"Getting close?" Star asked as she pumped him with her hand faster, seeing his legs tense up from her actions. "Okay, tell me when so I can-" Despite her request there wasn't much of a chance to make a plan as Star gasped, getting a face full of Oskar's cum as he groaned and ejaculated from her faster stroking. Oskar's hands had landed on her shoulders for support, keeping her from being able to dodge as the white, sticky substance coated her face, hair and glasses until it finally slowed and stopped completely. 

"Heh... uh, sorry 'bout that." Oskar said as he straightened himself out and looked down at the Mewni princess who's face was smeared by the pleasure she'd brought him. "You kind of made me go off faster than I wanted." 

"Yeah... I guess." Star said as she wiped some of the liquid from her glasses, suddenly more thankful for them than ever for protecting her eyes from a sudden invasion. Seeing the mess he'd caused Oskar took a moment to realize he could actually help and took off the red bandana he wore around his neck, giving it to her to clean up. "Thanks." She said, using the cloth to get her face cleaned off as best she could and remove what she could from her hair as well. Thankful that none of it had gotten onto her dress to leave a stain she'd have to explain later.

"That was the best." Oskar declared as he pulled his pants up, securing them back around his waist and letting out a relieved sigh. "Thanks Star, I've never felt anything that good before." 

"Oh. Yeah well... you're welcome?" Star said slightly confused from her kneeling position still on the floor. 

"Uh, here, you've still got a little bit on you." Oskar took the bandana back from her and leaned forward to spot clean a few more places on her face she'd missed. While he was leaning forward Star leaned in and closed her eyes to give him a kiss but found it missed the mark as Oskar had leaned away from her. "Hey uh, I really would like to kiss you some more but maybe like, after you drink some water or something? I don't really wanna taste 'me' when we're kissing, y'know?" 

"I uh... I understand." Star answered, finding it hard to hide the disappointment in her voice. Seeing as Oskar seemed to be finished Star got back up onto her feet and he started to head back towards the party. 

"Do you want to go get some punch or something? I bet it would wash the taste out." Oskar offered and Star shook her head. 

"Actually that's okay, you can go on ahead first." 

"Really?" Oskar asked surprised. "You don't wanna go back to the party?" 

"Oh I will I just need to... do something else here first. I mean I haven't been back here in a long time so there were other parts I still wanted to see from last time." 

"Did you want me to come with you?" Oskar asked with a tone of worry to his voice that made Star grip her hands tightly into balled fists but she hid them behind her back where they couldn't be seen in the dimly lit room.

"Nah, you can get back to your concert, I bet your audience is waiting for you." 

"Well... okay then, if you're sure. I'll see you out there, okay?" 

"Yep! See you out there!" Star said and smiled as wide as she could as Oskar waved to her and exited the room from where they'd entered. Once he was gone she let her smile drop and stood in the empty room for a while, just standing in the light from the open window above her. Looking down Star could see stains on the stone floor where some of Oskar's excitement had dripped off of her face earlier. She dropped the red bandana on the ground and walked over to one of the pillars that lined the walls, resting her back against it. As she stared at the stain and bandana from where she'd previously been on her knees Star slide down and sat on the ground. Pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them tightly in her arms. 

"Well... nice going there. Now he thinks you're some easy slut." Star spoke aloud to herself. "Someone he can come to for... his oats or whatever. Because that's what you were. Because that's how you acted." Star pulled the glasses off her face and rested her head against her knees. "Because maybe that's all you're really good for."

 

Despite the rocky start Pony Head somehow found herself enjoying the night again. Once everyone had found their niche to fall into with the crowd things seemed to be flowing more smoothly. She even had to take back her words about Al and Ferg as they'd both managed to find some ladies to keep company for the night. Which was fine by her since she didn't want to get anywhere near that hot tempered centaur or that maniac pixie they'd paired off with. Sure Pony Head was wild and liked to cut loose but those two were down right crazy as far as she was concerned.

Marco and Jackie seemed to be having fun on the dance floor and Pony Head gave them their space, finding a few princes good looking enough to keep her company. Starfan was somehow pulling in a few guys too but she seemed to be enjoying the attention of being confused with royalty a lot more than actually trying to flirt with anybody. Guess it was true the only one she seemed have eyes for was Star herself. Janna had gone missing ever since she announced setting up a game to play with any takers she could find, Pony Head considering if she should check it out too before the night was over. That is until she saw the second to last member of her crew she'd brought along from Marco's home on Earth. 

Oskar was exiting the school from the entrance where he'd left the party and he was conspicuously alone compared to when he'd departed. Truthfully she shouldn't be sticking her nose into other people's business but she couldn't help herself from looking out for her bestie. Especially when she was aware there was something going on that Star wasn't telling her for one reason or another. Seeing the boy Star had left with come back without her raised the red flags in her mind and she decided it might be a good idea to leave the dance floor and go looking for the Mewni princess. Gracefully she excused herself from the boy she'd been dancing with by shouting a fast apology while bowling him over as she flew quickly into St. Olga's.

Unfortunately St. Olga's was still a big place and with everything being so chaotic Star could be literally anywhere in the building she wanted right now. All doors were open and all rooms were subject to the whims of any princess who wandered into them. Which served Pony Head well as she heard the sound of shattering glass a few rooms away. Zipping through the corridors Pony Head eventually found herself in a large room, one that she recognized as where the new arrivals for the school when it was operational were taken to be introduced to their new life as a prisoners for reformation. It had been abandoned for a long time despite having so much space, no girl really wanting to be there again for any reason. However Star had found a purpose for it as she picked up various pieces of smashed furniture and used them to lob shots up at the chandeliers, shattering the glass that covered the candles and snuffing the flames out with each toss. Honestly it looked like fun and Pony Head would have asked to join in if not for the look on Star's face as she threw the debris. 

"B-fly?" Pony Head asked as she floated into the room, Star stopping to look back at her friend and then taking the time to toss a broken table leg at a chandelier. The glass casing around it broke in an explosion of dangerous glittering light. "You uh... killing time?" 

"Yep, just... killing some time." She still had those dark sunglasses on that obscured her eyes but even with those hiding her face Pony Head could see she wasn't really into what she was doing. "Want a toss?" 

"Heck yeah." Pony head said, floating up and taking one of the broken table legs in her mouth. With a spin of her head/body she let the leg fly and caught just the edge of the chandelier, making it swing. "Aw, are you kidding me? I had that lined up!" Without missing a beat Star threw another piece of debris of her own, hitting her target on the mark even with the chandelier swinging. There wasn't much left to break on that one so she turned her attention to the next. "Dang Star, you're on point with that aim." 

"Yep. I'm pretty good at breaking stuff." Star said flatly. 

"Yeah you are! Monster smashing and rule breaking! Isn't it kind of boring though just... breaking things by yourself in this room?" Pony Head asked curiously, but Star picked up one of the table legs she'd used earlier and lined up her next shot. "We could invite everyone else in here too or like... I dunno, go dance or something?" 

"I'm cool." Star replied, throwing the debris and shattering the glass top of the chandelier arm expertly. It broke into pieces along with Pony Head's patience. 

"No you're not." Pony head stated.

"Excuse me?" Star asked, showing some genuine emotion this time even if it was just confusion. 

"You're not cool. You haven't been cool all day." Pony Head elaborated for her. "I should have like... I dunno, said something. Or asked more or... I dunno what but I can tell when you're not cool Star."

"You're just imagining things, I'm fine." Star said as she lined up her next shot, but the table leg she used from the pile of broken furniture never made its mark as Pony Head flew in front of her to catch it in her teeth and spit it back out onto the ground.

"Dang it Star I'm trying to be serious and junk!" 

"Well when have you ever been serious!?" Star snapped back at Pony Head. 

"Excuse me!?" 

"Everyone says I'm wild and I get into fights with monsters and party all the time but you're even less responsible than me!"

"Hey, I organized this whole party for everybody." 

"You're dad organized this party for everybody." Star shot back at her. "So it's not like you had to worry about anything, you get to still do everything you wanna do. So why can't I just cut loose and break things and just... sow my wild oats if I feel like it!?" Star exclaimed to the confused floating horse head in front of her. "If everyone else gets to do it then why is it wrong if I want to?" 

"B-fly I... if you wanna get some food to eat I can go and find you something right now." 

"Not those kind of oats! Forget it, you wouldn't understand. You can't understand. No one can understand it!" Star shouted angrily, her arms waving violently as she did. "Why are you even here?" 

"I came here for you!" Pony Head shot back. "Cause I'm worried about you cause you're way past not being cool."

"Well just stop! I don't care if you think I'm cool or not, just do it some place else where I don't have to think about it anymore!" 

"...Star. What happened with that guy Oskar and you? You guys came in here together and he left without you." Star didn't have an answer for Pony Head's question. Instead of shouting at her or tossing more junk at the ceiling Star pulled her wand from her purse and shot a green blast of magic at the chandler she'd been using as target practice. The ceiling fixture erupting with green energy into small, smoking pieces on the ground below where it had been hanging. After the explosion the two princesses stared at each other in silence before Pony Head finally gave her answer back to Star's. 

"Whatever." Pony Head said, floating away with a scowl on her face. Star just stood silently behind Pony Head as she exited the room, turning down the hall and flying faster and faster until she was sure she was out of earshot of Star. In an area of the school where some other royal teenagers were lounging and talking to each other, Pony Head burst into the room and let loose a frightening scream as she started tearing apart the first painting she found on the wall with her horn. Cutting several slashes into it before stopping to catch her breath. When she was done the painting was gone, just an empty frame left and a room full of people staring in terror at the floating horse head that had went berserk.

"Uh... sorry! Sorry everybody. Sorry, that was like, an emergency destruction of property just now? Kinda had to just let it fly off the handle, you know?" She swung around to address the room, all eyes fixated on the sharp horn atop her head that swung along with her. "So I think I'll just be leaving... okaythankslater!" Zipping out of the room Pony Head took a second to catch her breath, think about what had just happened and try to deal with getting into a sudden fight with her best friend just because she'd been worried about her. 

"Can't tell me cause I don't understand? I understand plenty!" Pony Head grumbled out loud as she floated back towards the party. "I understand you better than you do, girl! I know you inside and out. Tellin' me I don't understand my bestie. If you can't talk to you're best bestie than who else you gonna talk to? Tell me that why don't you? Huh? Who? Who's better at talking to you than me?" In her haste Pony Head collided with one of the walls instead of taking a turn at the hallway like she should have. She was ready to tear up whatever was in front of her again when she noticed it was the face of a certain princess plastered on a poster and looking at her with that stupid Earth Turd smile of his. "...okay that's not even funny." Still, it was an answer for her question.

Moments later Pony Head was outside the school again and searching above the crowd. She quickly spotted her target and descended towards Jackie and Marco who were off by the punch bowl getting a drink and talking to each other. Swooping down she called out to get their attention. "Marco, hold up!" The couple looked up to see their horse head friend fly towards them and come to a sudden halt in the air. "Marco, I need you inside. Right now." 

"What!?" Marco asked in shock and Jackie went wide eyed at the declaration. "Like... what do you mean need me 'inside' right now?"

"Don't be lookin' at me like that, y'all ain't that charming." Pony Head said with a snort. "I don't need you for me, I need you inside that school for Star." 

"Star's in trouble?"

"I dunno." That response just got more confused looks which just frustrated Pony Head further. "I mean, she's not cool." 

"Not... cool?" Marco asked very confused now. 

"Right, she's not cool. Like normally she's all cool and chill and she's like, having fun and stuff. But she's not cool at all right now."

"Oh... how come?" 

"She won't tell me! So you gotta go in there and ask her." 

"Wait, right now!? I mean if she's upset yeah we should go and check on her-"

"Nuh uh, not us, just you." Marco looked a little lost and confused as to why it had to be just him, though that didn't seem to be what kept him from moving. Instead he looked to Jackie with conflict in his eyes. Sensing it as well Jackie decided to dig a little deeper. 

"Do you have any clue what might have made her upset?" Jackie asked Pony Head directly. 

"All I know is, she went into that school with that guy that plays that horrible music, and then he came back out without her." 

"Oh no." Jackie said gravely and Pony Head nodded seriously. "Okay Marco, you should go check on Star." 

"Wait wait wait, can anyone just tell me what's going on right now?" Marco asked in a panic, not sure how worried he should be about this situation but the girls just looked at each other knowingly. 

"Not really." Jackie answered. "It's kind of a girl thing and we don't have time to get into it right now. But listen, you're her best friend right?" 

"Well, yeah. Star's my best friend too, I'd do anything for her." 

"Good, then just be your silly, lovable self and be there for her. That's all you need to know." Jackie said reassuringly. "Besides Pony Head came all the way out here to ask you for help and didn't call you Earth Turd once."

"Don't read too much into that." Pony Head said, realizing she had been calling Marco by his actual name for once. Marco thought it through and nodded, setting down the glass he'd been drinking from. 

"Okay, I'm going in. But are you going to be okay on you're own?" Marco asked Jackie and she gave him a playful nudge away.

"I'm a big girl, silly. You don't have to babysit me or anything like that. It's a party, I'll find something to do. Maybe I'll go check out Janna's poker game and see how it's going." 

"Oh, you wanna check that out too?" Pony Head asked excitedly. "I was wondering about that whole thing myself, is it fun?" 

"Well it can be but..." Jackie said trying to think of how to phrase what came next. Marco however had an answer. 

"Janna cheats. A lot. Like a lot a lot." Sighing to himself Marco reached into his wallet and pulled out four hundred dollars. "Here, that's two hundred for each of you. Should be enough to buy into one of her games if she's playing against princesses with jewels and crowns and stuff." 

"Whoa, Marco are... are you sure?" Jackie asked, amazed he so willingly handed this much money to her without a care. 

"Yep, don't worry about it. Watch out for her left sleeve though. With that big jacket she's probably got some cards stashed up in there and she'll make a move for them. Also watch out for-"

"Her hat when she goes to scratch her head and her bra when she says she's scratching her boob. Yeah I've seen Janna play card games before." Jackie replied. 

"Uh... yeah, all of that. Though I wasn't going to say the boob thing..." 

"But you were thinking it, weren't you?" Jackie asked with a smirk.

"I better get going!" Marco replied and ran off towards where Pony Head had directed him the last place Star had been seen. Jackie and the floating princess going their own direction while the skater girl tried to describe the rules of poker as fast as she could so Janna wouldn't take advantage of both of them when they got there. As Marco got farther from the party and the thumping music he was reminded of how he and Jackie had been wandering the halls earlier with the slow fading of the sounds behind them as they did.

It was the same as Marco got deeper into the school, though he didn't have to travel near as far as last time. Instead finding a large room with several smashed chandeliers, tables, chairs and other furniture. On a couch off to the side was a girl with long blonde hair laying down and staring up at the ceiling. By Pony Head's description Marco figured the room had probably been more in tact before Star had arrived. With that in mind he approached slow and carefully since he hadn't seen this much destruction on purpose from Star before. 

Walking over to the couch Marco could see Star's face looking straight up but not if she was awake due to the sun glasses over her eyes. Quietly he spoke out to her. "Hey." 

"Hey." Star replied, confirming she was awake. 

"Really trashed this room, huh?" 

"Yeah." Star answered, not moving.

"Is it cool if I sit next to you on the couch? I'd sit on the floor but there's a lot of glass everywhere." If it wasn't for the fact the school was going to be completely renovated in a week Marco would have been bothered by the giant mess surrounding him. His general neat freak nature was being suppressed at the moment over the greater need to comfort his friend. 

"Okay." Star said and slowly swung her legs around to sit up, stretching her body out after having changed positions. Marco sat down next to her and leaned back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling too. The two sat in silence for a while, just letting the dull sounds of the party out in the courtyard bounce off the walls in and out of the building. Till Star allowed the conversation to continue. "Did Pony Head ask you to find me?" 

"Yeah, she was worried about you." Marco answered. "I'm going to confess, I am too now that I see all of this."

"Why, I've broken stuff before." Star said, her voice still flat and monotone. 

"Yeah but usually when you do you're smiling." Marco replied. 

"Oh." Star said, not going further. Seeing as they were back to square one and sitting in silence in the room Marco took a breath and decided he needed to make a move if anything was going to happen to fix whatever problem Star was dealing with. Silly antics to distract her weren't going to work this time if anything Jackie and Pony Head said seemed to be right. Sitting up and turning to face her Marco gathered his courage. 

"Hey Star?" 

"Yeah?"

"Can I take off your glasses?" Even without looking at her he could feel her body react on the couch, her muscles tensing at the idea of having them taken away from her. 

"...why?" 

"Because I want to look you in the eyes. I think it's important that I do."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just... for some reason I think I need to." Star didn't reply further on his logic and Marco decided since she hadn't disagreed with him he was going to take the next step. If she wanted to stop him she could in a moment with a slap or a push or even a simple word of objection. But as his hands slowly rose up and touched the edges of the decorated frames of her glasses Star didn't fight him. Instead letting him slip them carefully off of her face and through her hair, folding them up and setting them on the couch between them. Her eyes had been closed while he pulled them away and when she opened them he could see what she'd been hiding. "Oh Star..."

Her eyes were red and the skin around them puffy as if she'd been crying. Quite a bit from just how bad they looked. Marco put his arms out and Star leaned in to hug him tightly, his arms wrapping around her as she sniffed and started to cry against his shoulder. He still didn't understand but just held onto her, letting her hug him and cry out whatever she'd been holding back this whole time. As it went on it her sobbing was getting worse and Marco began to stroke her hair to try and calm her down. Thankfully no one else was around to see her break down after all the effort she'd put into hiding this. Over a little bit of time Star started to relax and her tears eased up, Marco still hugging onto her for as long as she needed. "Thank you."

"Of course." Marco said, trying to hide the worry in his voice as he had seen her upset before but never like this. After a little bit Star pulled herself away from him and sat on the couch, wiping some stray tears away. "I'm a real downer, huh?" 

"No, Star, not at all. I'm just... I just don't understand. Did something happen?" Marco put a hand onto Star's and she gripped it, the contact felt reassuring between them. "If someone did something to make you feel this way then I'll... I don't know what but I'm here for you for whatever you need." 

"I just hate it here." Star said quietly. 

"What?" 

"I hate it here. I hate everything about this place." Star confessed. "This building, the things in it, what happened to us here. I can't just... I can't just forget what this place was. Everything about what's happened in here... even now, even tonight... even tonight!" Star gasped for air as she felt more tears coming despite her eyes feeling like they couldn't possibly cry any more. Marco moved closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders, Star leaning into him and calming down a little. "I just hate it here so much." 

"Star... I had no idea." Marco said with slow realization. "I knew you were always scared of this place. That it was almost the only thing I'd ever seen you be scared of. But I didn't think it still bothered you this much." Star let a little whimper out, so different from the strong girl he always admired for her bravery. She was still the coolest and most inspirational girl he'd ever met but now he had to try and be something strong as well for her sake. He just hoped he was up to the task like their friends were counting on. "Do you want to go home?" 

"Can't." Star said shaking her head. "I can't go home, not now. Not while everyone else is having fun. I don't want to be the reason everyone has to drop what they're doing and-"

"Okay. Okay, we won't leave then. I don't want you to feel like you're causing anyone else trouble." 

"I'm causing you trouble." Star said. "I took you away from the party. From Jackie." 

"Jackie's a big girl, she told me so herself. Said not to worry about her. You shouldn't worry about me either. I'm here because I want to be here for my best friend." Star sighed slowly and let his words sink in. 

"I yelled at Pony Head." Star said softly. "She was worried about me and I yelled at her." 

"Well you were really upset." 

"Still that's terrible. I can't believe I was mean to her when she came to help me." Marco wasn't the biggest fan of Pony Head himself, the two having a mutual respect for each other. Mostly on account of they both cared about Star so much. Despite all her flaws though Marco had some faith in her.

"She'll forgive you the moment you apologize." He said with confidence. "Won't even bother her I bet. She's too stubborn to let a little fight ruin your friendship." 

"Wish I could take it back." Star said quietly, Marco rubbing her shoulder gently with his hand as she leaned into him. "What should we do?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I can't keep you here all night." Star said, cuddling up to Marco more. "Eventually everyone will come looking for us and I'll still be a mess and you'll be with me. It doesn't look good." 

"Maybe." Marco said, though he didn't really understand what didn't look good about it other than Star feeling sad and not wanting to make everyone else worry. "But Janna's already off doing her own thing, getting up to no good I bet. Jackie and Pony Head went off to find her. Starfan I think is having more fun pretending to be a princess than any of the real ones out there ever have living as one. So she's fine. Al and Ferg actually hooked up with two girls they met at the party." 

"You're kidding me." The news was surprising enough to shake Star out of her depression which made Marco smile. "Who exactly?"

"Well Ferg's been riding on the back of some centaur Princess that Pony Head seems to really hate for some reason." 

"Yeah, it's not the best thing but for some reason she just can't get along with people who have the bottom halves of horses." Star sat up on her own now off of Marco's shoulder, looking his way as they talked. "I don't know where she gets it from, it's not like we run into a lot of people like that. Except my uncle Lump but his horse body was a transplant so I guess it's different?" Star shrugged and Marco shrugged as well, completely lost on the source of alien princess prejudice. "Who did Al meet?" 

"Looked like a girl from Pixtopia." 

"Isn't he still married to that queen or whatever?" 

"Maybe? I actually haven't asked ever since we fought our way out of there to stop Ferguson from doing the same thing. Just goes to show that sometimes it's not worth the effort trying to stop a relationship that's just going to happen no matter what. Even if it isn't the best choice for everyone at the time." 

"Yeah... even if it isn't a good choice. Sometimes things like that happen, don't they?" Star said, seeming to lose some of her spirit again. Marco caught the tone in her voice and decided maybe relationships weren't the best thing to talk about. Especially if something having to do with Oskar was the real source of all of this.

"Hey Star?" 

"Yeah?"

"Want to go smash some wood?" 

"Wait, whaaaaaat? Since when are you the one to suggest smashing things?" 

"Since as of right now." Marco said with a smile. "Remember that tea etiquette room from the last time we were here? I bet a lot of those tables and chairs are still in there. We could break them up really good." 

"Yeah, I guess so. But why do you want to?" Star asked hesitantly, though Marco was carefully pulling her sunglasses up and placing them over her eyes again to hide the red tint and puffiness that surround them. 

"Because like you taught me, we should go and do the things we want to do before we run out of time and have to do the things we have to do." Marco said and rose up to his feet. "They're fixing this place later from top to bottom, no reason not to go crazy on it if we got the chance." 

"I taught you that?" Star asked curiously and Marco offered his hand to her, helping her stand off the couch. 

"Of course you did, that night we watched the meteor shower. That it was important to enjoy being young while we are before we have to grow up. Right?" 

"Yeah, I guess so." Star said with a small smile. "Like sowing our wild oats." Marco didn't know where she'd learned that phrase all of a sudden but he felt his heart thump hard in his chest and his fingers gave Star's hand a small squeeze at the suggestion. 

"I... um... I mean... yeah?" Marco said nervously. "Not exactly the phrase I would use but close enough." Keeping a hold of her hand Marco began to walk out of the room, leading Star with him. "So ready to go smash some wood." 

"Heck yeah, that wood won't know what hit it!" 

"Probably, it is just furniture after all." 

"Not for long!" Soon Star was taking the lead as she pulled Marco along, the two eventually finding their way to the tea etiquette room from before that was still filled with plenty of chairs, tables and all sorts of things to smash. It didn't take long for the room to be nearly destroyed completely, a few of the other party guests having heard their activities and coming along to join in on the fun. Thankfully it seemed to brighten Star's spirits and Marco felt a little more at ease despite never really understanding how Oskar had fit into Star's issues with St. Olga's in the first place.

By the end of the night when everyone was ready to head home there were smiles all around. Just as expected Janna had not only taught some of the other princesses how to play poker but had learned and beat some of them at a few games from their own home worlds. Jackie had come back with one hundred and fifty of the two hundred dollars Marco had lent her, along with a pretty new sapphire ring she'd won during one of the gambling games. Pony Head was empty handed (or empty mouthed rather) having been taken for all she was worth but had fun regardless. Ferguson had left with a magic mirror calling number to contact princess Seabiscuit and a kiss on the cheek as a reward for being "as noble as a centaur". Alfonzo had come back with much the same but seemed a bit stressed due to what sounded like a suggested plot to overthrow the empress of Pixtopia by his new princess friend. Starfan had been happy to reunite with Star after being apart so long at the party but somehow had kept up the ruse of seeming like royalty to everyone and not getting caught for raiding their rooms earlier. She even got to keep the gown she wore at the dance.

A portal trip later everyone who belonged on Earth was back there again. Marco saw his friends out the door of his home but took the time to stay outside with Jackie for a bit before she left. 

"I had a great time tonight." Jackie said as she snapped her helmet on and prepared her skate board. "Don't forget your promise by the way. I really do want to come on one of your adventures some day."

"Don't worry, I don't think I'll be forgetting anything from tonight any time soon." They laughed a little nervously together in the shared secret of their first time together as lovers. But it was a happy and precious thing to have between them. "Seriously though Jackie, you're the best. Thank you for coming tonight." 

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world." She replied and gave Marco a kiss on the lips. "I'll see you at school." With that Jackie was off down the road on her skateboard, weaving expertly through the street until she was out of sight. Marco stayed behind until he couldn't see her anymore and made his way back up to his door. Though it opened before his hand could reach the handle. 

"Oh, hey Mango." 

"Oskar?" Marco asked surprised. "You're still here?" 

"Yeah, was just talking with Star. Wanted to say good night the 'right way', you know what I mean right?" Oskar said with a grin that Marco couldn't read for the life of him.

"Sure... I know what you mean." He didn't, not really. Though there was something eerily similar to him staying behind for Star the way Marco had stayed behind to say good night to Jackie. Was there something going on that he didn't know about? Pony Head had seemed to think Oskar was the source of Star's problems, though Marco didn't have any reason to doubt what Star had told him earlier either about the school being the cause. "So you're headed home." 

"Yep, home is parked just down the street." Oskar said as he motioned to his car. "Later princess dude." 

"Later..." Marco said as Oskar left the house, allowing him to enter finally. Once inside Marco felt a need to find out if there was something more going on between them but found that Star had already gone to bed for the night, her door closed and lights off in her room. "Guess she was tired." He couldn't blame her. After how emotionally draining tonight had been she probably just wanted to crash and wake up refreshed the next day. With how much energy he'd used dancing both vertically and horizontally with Jackie he could relate to that need for a rest. "Oh well, I'll ask her about it tomorrow." Sure things had been a little rough at the party but there wasn't any reason to worry. Star was Star, nothing could ever get her down for very long.


	10. Sugar

"You know Marco, you were right. Burritos do taste good without sugar." Star said after taking a hefty bite of her meal, enjoying the taste of the flour wrapped contents. Without the sweetness to drown out the other ingredients she was able to savor the rest of the flavor. "I probably should have given them a try earlier than this." She used some of the red sauce that had been provided to her to drape onto her open burrito and taste it with the additional flavor. "It is really good... too bad we can't share some together." She said to the open seat across from here, in the empty dining area of Britta's Tacos. This late at night though it wasn't a surprise she was the only customer looking to eat her food at the restaurant rather than at home. But that was just about the last place she wanted to go to right now. 

She thought everything had been under control. That she'd finally figured everything out and put all of her worries and insecurities behind her. Marco and Jackie were a couple and she was cool with that and it didn't matter what happened in the past or going forward, she could be happy for her friends being happy. If that hadn't been the case she never would have set up for all three of them to go to the Love Sentence concert together. It was supposed to be a fun outing for just the three of them and give Marco an opportunity to score some points with Jackie by looking impressive in front of her. She'd even given him credit for getting them the tickets. While Marco had a series of accidents and misunderstandings that were pretty common to him, somehow they'd managed to arrive at the concert in time and take their seats for the show to begin. 

That's when things changed completely. Marco was thrilled. Jackie was thrilled. Star was even thrilled going into the concert. They were all having a good time. But then that song came on, their second favorite song, Just Friends. She'd never really thought much about the lyrics before but now each word was like a pin in her heart. A small reminder of just how messed up her feelings were and how out of place she'd been at that concert. A stadium full of people kissing with those that were more than just friends, and then there was her, standing alone and holding his hand like some kind of lost child. All the while Marco and Jackie were kissing each other without a thought. 

So she ran. What else could she do? She'd given Marco some half baked excuse about wanting to be closer to the action, to get out of her seat and up close and personal by the stage. But really she just wanted out of that chair and as far away from her friends as possible. The idea of having to be there and see that happen again was more than she could bear right now. Star sighed and took another small bite of her burrito. "I really am a screw up." 

Just how many things had she failed at now? She'd lost her family's magical book and Glossaryck to Ludo, just barely managed to pass a test to prove she was still worthy to keep her wand, messed up her relationship with her best friend by all the near sexual encounters they'd had, lost her group of friend's favorite hang out spot when the Bounce Lounge was closed down despite their efforts to keep it open, convinced Oskar she was some easy girl to go to for a quick BJ and was doing her very best right now not to have angry feelings towards Jackie for earning Marco's heart and virginity. Yes, spying was on the list of her current screw ups, more than once. "Spying leads to crying.", she'd been warned, but like everything else she ignored the advice given to her. At least now she was taking it, if just in the form of how to eat her dinner. 

With the food only halfway eaten Star set it down on her plate and just stared up at the stars, looking at the constellations she could make out in the sky. They were different than the ones on Mewni and she usually delighted in spotting them. There was even some kind of religion or magic around them based upon which one you were born under on Earth. She wondered which one belonged to her? Which one was Marco's? Somehow she'd never gotten around to asking. Of course now she was dreading having to speak with him again. Once the concert ended predictably she got a text from Marco asking where she was and she assured him she was okay and out getting something to eat. Naturally he was walking Jackie home so that would keep him busy. Maybe she could slip back into her house through the balcony without anyone noticing and avoid the awkward question as to why she'd left so early. Not that she could ever tell him the truth. 

"This is where life has taken you." Star said aloud to herself. "Confused and alone, stars you don't know above you and a burrito without sugar beneath you. Troubling times for us all." 

"Don't forget walking out on your favorite band's concert early." A familiar voice said from behind Star, causing her to jump in surprise and whip her head and hair around to see who snuck up on her. "Hey there, finally found you." 

"Marco! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Star shouted, catching her breath as Marco sat down across from Star, taco on a tray ready to be eaten and a sugar shaker along with him. 

"Wasn't trying to, you were so lost in thought you didn't even see me ride by on my bike." Marco explained, taking a bite out of his taco and savoring the flavor. 

"Oh. I uh... guess I was kinda thinking pretty hard." Star admitted, surprised she'd missed him when he'd been in plain view. 

"Can I ask what about?" Star stayed silent on that and Marco shrugged. "It's okay if you don't want to. I just wanted to be sure you were safe is all."

"I've got a magic wand that can shoot like a million spells. I'm pretty sure I'm safe where ever I wanna go." Star countered, though the energy in her voice was all but gone seeing him before her.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean I can't still watch out for my bestie. Besides last time you were here you destroyed a police car and went missing for a day. So call me "Safe Kid" if you want, I still feel better checking in on you." 

"...thank you." Star said quietly, Marco unsure how to process that but just accepting the thanks graciously and continued to eat his taco slowly. They sat together in silence for a while until Star spoke up again. "It was the past." 

"Pardon?"

"The past was what I was thinking about. Like... all the things I'd done or said and if... if it's all right or not."

"You mean about Ludo stealing Glossaryck?" 

"That's part of it." Star admitted. "But also other things, just regular every day things. Have I been doing okay? Am I even living my life the way I'm supposed to?" 

"Whoa whoa whoa, this sounds pretty serious." Marco said, putting his food down completely. "Why are you all of a sudden worried about this kind of thing? I thought your parents said it was fine and you didn't have to be concerned about it? You even passed that magical test thing they gave you with that weird cat monster." 

"Baby. Yeah, I passed it but I almost didn't at all." 

"But you did." Marco stated confidently. "I know things aren't great right now with what Ludo's done and everything, but you don't have to let that ruin every day for you. It was like you said before, you have to live your life while you still can. While there's still time to do it." 

"Isn't that just reckless behavior?" Star asked which made Marco go wide eyed. 

"Wow. I never expected to hear that question come from you."

"See though! It is! You even had to come out here because you knew that I might mess something up so bad I'd need help again." Star said sounding defeated, but she looked up when she felt a hand reach across the table and rest on hers.

"I came out here because I was worried about my best friend who was clearly troubled about something." Marco said, trying to reassure her. His hand on hers made her remember the concert, how she was holding his hand while he was kissing Jackie. She was torn between pulling away from his touch and gripping his hand tightly. When she didn't move Marco pulled his hand back to himself and continued. "Look, we both know you've always been a little, I dunno, weird and wild? But that's why everyone loves being around you. You make everything better just being there." 

"What about the things we've done together?" Star asked soberly.

"You mean adventures? Sure I've been in danger a few times but usually we pull through before-"

"Not that." Star cut him off. "The... the other things we've done together. You know... privately?" 

"Oh. Those things." Marco said, blushing a little at the memory of those past events. "I... don't regret them. Do you?" Star shook her head in response. "Do you wish we hadn't done them?"

"No." Star answered quickly, not quite ready to get this close to the problems that were this deep in her heart. "I just... I mean... I didn't want things to feel strange. For you and Jackie." 

"Ah, well, I haven't told her about anything we've done before. Like those kinds of things I mean." That was probably for the best for all of them. "I mean I don't think she's concerned or anything. Everyone knows you've been in the bathroom while I was taking showers after that live stream you did." 

"Should I stop doing that too?" She didn't know what was okay anymore. There were clearly lines to be drawn but she didn't know where they were and it was causing her a lot of conflict trying to navigate this new relationship. 

"You can stop inviting Janna." Marco replied. 

"It was only the one time." Star countered. "Besides she didn't see anything private." 

"I think she just wanted to see me squirm in a place where I couldn't get away." 

"Actually I'm pretty sure she wanted to see more than that." Star said with a little smile. "She didn't believe me when I said she wouldn't get a peek." 

"I highly doubt Janna looks at me as anything more than someone to mess with for fun." 

"You mean the girl that wanted you to call her after you get a divorce?" 

"More teasing." Marco countered. 

"Or she's looking for when she has a chance to move in on you." Star countered back.

"For the kill, maybe." Marco suggested, which actually got a laugh out of both of them. It was nice, being able to laugh. To forget about all the problems for a moment. After the laughter passed they both took another bite out of their food, the meal mostly gone for the both of them aside from one last bite. If that was eaten they'd have no excuse to stay so Star didn't touch hers and Marco left his alone as well. After a little bit Star noticed something out of place. 

"Why did you bring the sugar shaker?" She asked confused.

"Because I thought you forgot it." He answered, offering her the shaker. "I'd never seen you eat a burrito without one." 

"Thanks but I'm fine." Star said, looking over her food and Marco placing the shaker back on his tray. "I decided to try it your way." 

"And?"

"It's good. Not sweet like I like but it's good." 

"I see." Marco nodded. "Hey Star... I'm sorry about tonight." 

"What?" She asked, genuinely confused. "Why? I ran out on you." 

"I didn't think about it until on the ride over here. But everyone was together with someone except you." Star's body froze up, not expecting Marco to hit the nail on the head like that. "I mean... maybe if we'd invited like Oskar or somebody too. Made it a double date. But y'know... I just realized after I dropped Jackie off everyone was there with a date and you weren't and... I dunno. I felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. Like a bad friend." 

"Marco, it's not your fault. It was my idea to invite Jackie." 

"Yeah but... I still feel like that wasn't fair to you. But I don't really know how to fix it, you know?" He was trying to repair something that couldn't be fixed and she didn't want this topic to continue any further. She couldn't let it go any further. If it did then they'd get somewhere that she wasn't willing to go and it could ruin everything about their friendship. This had to stop now.

"Hey, don't even worry about it. I'm totally fine." 

"Really?" Marco asked, completely confused. 

"Really. Like you said, I'm the wild princess Star Butterfly. I just do things as they come to me. I wanna go out with my bestie and his girlfriend, I go. I want to go grab some grub, I grab it. If I wanted to go find someone like Oskar to be on a date with, I'd do it. It's all as it comes to me. Living my life free as a bird without worry or concern." Star put on her bravest, most assured face she could muster but Marco was looking at her for the cracks in her facade. Trying to see beyond her words. 

"You really mean it?" Marco asked. "I mean just a second ago you were all worried about the past but... you're fine with this?" 

"Absolutely! I was the one that told you to get together with Jackie in the first place, right?" 

"Well... yeah." 

"So why all the doubt? You got the girl, tiger. You've still got your bestie. There's no reason for you to be worried about anything at all." 

"I... I guess so. If you're sure?" 

"Super-duper-quadruple sure." 

"Well, okay then. It does make me feel better to hear it directly from you." Marco said, sounding relieved. Star felt a combined sensation of relief and pain at the fact she'd kept her feelings hidden past tonight. But this was the best way for things to be. "And since you're eating your burrito my way, it's only fair I eat my food your way." With that Marco took the sugar shaker and gave his last bit of taco a covering of white sweetness. 

"You're actually going to eat it like that? Didn't you call putting sugar on a taco food sacrilege?" 

"Hey, you tried it the Earth way. I'm gonna do it the Mewni way." Marco explained, preparing to take the last bite. Star joined in by picking up the last of her burrito, each of them putting it into their mouths at the same time. 

"Mmm!" Star said happily 

"Grrrk!" Marco grumbled as he choked down the last of his taco. 

"Gonna make it?"

"Barely... just barely." Marco said, panting hard. "I dunno how you can eat so much of this stuff." 

"Food is anarchy, and you've just had a taste of the revolution." Star said with a grin and Marco grumbled. 

"I'd like to rejoin normal food society, please." They both laughed it off and got up from the table, heading over around the building to where Marco had parked his bike. "Wanna ride along with me?" 

"Beats walking back." Star said. She could have easily summoned a number of things to ride on herself to get back home but traveling along with Marco sounded like the best way to go in her mind. As they were getting ready to depart she noticed something. "Oh hey, you got a little sugar on you still." 

"Really? Where?" Marco began pawing at his face to try and remove the stray bits of sweetness that had remained but somehow managed to miss them completely each time. 

"Here, just let me." Star said and got closer to Marco, using her thumb to wipe away the stray bits of sugar near his lip. Afterwards she pulled her thumb to her mouth and licked off the sugar grains, enjoying the sweetness on her tongue. Though as she did she noticed Marco looking at her with slightly red cheeks? "What?" 

"Uh...n-nothing. Nothing at all. It's all gone, right?" Marco asked with a nervous smile, a look that Star recognized and caused the kindling passion that had been aching in her heart to light up at the sight of it. There was a temptation now, strong and apparent. After everything that had been said tonight she should have ignored it, however...

"Actually, I think there's a little more." Star moved forward and leaned in towards Marco's face, he didn't retreat from her closing in on him. When she got up near his cheek she licked near his mouth, pulling up small traces of sugar that had been left. She could feel Marco's breath shudder at the lick, her own heart beating faster now. 

"Is... is that all of it?" Marco asked hesitantly. 

"There's still a little more." Star said, moving her lips towards his. Contact was made and to her delight he didn't move away from the kiss.

It started out small, little kisses against each other lips. A feeling she'd been without for a long time but was so familiar once she had it again. Soon after the kisses grew deeper, mouths parting and arms coming around each other. Marco's arms resting around her back and Stars slipping under his to grip at the back of his hoodie. She was moaning into the kiss now and didn't care how forward or obvious they were being about it in public. She was relishing the feeling too much. 

Marco was groaning in return and their grip on each other began to tighten. Leaning back Marco braced himself against the wall of the restaurant and Star pushed herself hard against him, their tongues slipping against one another in a deep kiss they were lost in now. She felt her leg lift up and her body press hard down against his. There was a pressure against his jeans, one she was familiar with and eager to meet with her own hips. One of Marco's hands slid upward into her hair and against her head, fingers slipping through her golden strands with a comforting feeling against her scalp. Star moaned and shoved herself against his body, Marco grunting in return but enjoying the pressure of her against him. A little farther like this, a little more and there wouldn't be any turning back. They could be lost in pure delight, sweeter than any sugar. 

They both recognized it, the moment where there would be no return. Despite the longing in their kiss they broke apart to look each other in the eyes and gauge their feelings. There was lust there, even love that at their age they couldn't recognize fully for what it was. But also realization. An awareness of what would come next would mean if they allowed it to happen. Instead of kissing further they stopped pushing against one another and simply embraced tightly in a hug. Star resting herself against his chest and Marco holding her by her head and back. Their hearts beating fast against one another. 

"You... you got it." Marco said finally. 

"Yeah, I guess I did." Star agreed, their hug not breaking apart. "I got all of it." 

"Sure did. Looks like you didn't go tonight without a kiss after all." 

"Nope." Star agreed, neither of them sounding too pleased about what had to come next. "We can't do that anymore." 

"We can't." Marco agreed, seeing just how easily they could have fallen back into that sort of behavior again. But things were different now. Marco didn't want to cheat on Jackie, Star didn't want to hurt her friend. They both cared about her too much. "We can't talk about it either." 

"We can't." Star agreed. "It has to stay between us." 

"Between just us." 

"Just us." Star repeated, gripping Marco's hoodie tightly. It had to stay between them, just friends. "I'm sorry I-"

"Don't apologize, you didn't do anything wrong." Marco said, though neither of them were sure that they didn't do something wrong. But it allowed them to ignore their desires if the put it behind them. "Everything's okay. You don't have to worry. Nothing's going to change." 

"Promise?" Star asked. 

"Promise. I'll always be there for you, okay?" Marco said and Star lifted her head to smile up at him. 

"Okay, and I'll always be there for you." 

"Thank goodness, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." They shared a smile, things felt good suddenly. Despite that moment of weakness everything was going to be alright. "We better get going." Star agreed and after getting themselves a little calmed down they put on their biking helmets and took to the street, Marco peddling away while Star rode on the back of his bike. Now that they were more clear headed Marco went to move the conversation to more every day topics. "Your song day thing is coming up soon right?" 

"Yeah." Star said, sounding annoyed at the idea of it. "I'm really not looking forward to it. Princess Songs are the worst. Oh yeah, we'll have to get you an outfit for the event too." 

"I'm surprised your parents think it's okay for me to be there." 

"Whaaat? C'mon, my mom and dad love you. They think you're the best." 

"I hope so, I don't want to do anything that's going to embarrass you. But hey, after all of that we have our summer vacation coming up!" 

"You keep talking about it but I still don't really get it other than there's no school." Star actually liked school, it was fun to go there and see all of her friends five days a week. Sure the homework was difficult. Like reality breaking difficult at times. But she still enjoyed it.

"Don't worry, I'm going to show you what it's all about. You're gonna love it." 

"I can't wait!" Star said happily as the two rode off together into the night and back to their home to go to sleep with a renewed feeling of confidence in their future. 

Though things wouldn't go as planned. Their carefree days would come and go, and eventually Star's Song Day wold arrive. A unique song she helped create that would end up revealing the truth her to her kingdom about everything she'd done. Including all the mistakes she had made and inadvertently the crush she had developed upon her best friend from Earth. Among the chaos caused by the revelation to the kingdom of Mewni Star would try to retreat back to Earth and her friends in the hopes of making sense of everything that had gone wrong. Only to find an old enemy had come back for her family seeking revenge. 

Faced with an impossible situation, Star would finally find the courage to confess her feelings to Marco before everyone around her. Only to depart from Earth immediately afterwards that very same night, with no intention to ever return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt a little epilogue was necessary for this story due to how often it's been listed as "complete and "incomplete" over and over again. Yes, chapter 10 is the end of Princess Charms. After a point I knew this story was going to conclude with season two's ending and wanted to steer events into that direction. I kept the Starco going strong for as long as I could but there came a point where Jackie had to come into play. With that this particular relationship of Marco and Star was going to change severely. 
> 
> Funny thing is I'd originally intended to end things on chapter five on a high note. With the two dorks never going all the way. Promiscuous enough to have nearly explored every inch of each other but not crossing that line because it just wasn't ready to be crossed. However once we'd gone past that I knew someone had to go all the way and with how the story had been playing out on screen it wasn't going to be Star. Now that we've reached the end I can say I'm happy to have had all of you come on this journey with me as we explored the complex emotions sex introduces into such a strong friendship. The greater the joy the great the pain.
> 
> I'm not convinced I'm completely done with my special pair of Marco and Star. But I'd run out of episodes and lucky charms to use for the narrative so for now this story will sit as it is on this conclusion. Once seasons three and four have played out I'll have a better understanding of where our two favorite dorks are headed. Including Jackie, Janna and even Tom to see how they'll interact with future events. Any continuation will be under a different title but I'll be sure to make it obvious it's a continuation of the original story. As of this writing I'd been avoiding all information about Season 3, including Battle for Mewni. Now that I've managed to break their hearts I'm finally ready to see them get back together again. Can't wait. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for commenting and supporting this story. I've enjoyed writing it and being part of the fan community as it's grown over time. Reading your reactions is the highlight of my day after posting a chapter and I eagerly check my phone to see each person's feed back. I hope this story has brought out an emotion in everyone that has read it and you all enjoyed it on some level. I'll be sure to keep on writing and providing more stories for you all. Some from different series altogether, but I can't find myself staying away from that spunky princess for very long. 
> 
> Be as confident as Star, as caring as Marco, as cool as Jackie and almost as mischievous as Janna.


End file.
